Introduced in 1963, the inshore lifeboat continues to be an invaluable asset in the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s (RNLI ) fleet as new figures show the charity’s Inshore lifeboats have saved 30,778 lives across 60 years.
The inshore lifeboat has enabled the charity’s volunteer crews to carry out their lifesaving work closer to shore, in areas inaccessible to other lifeboats in the fleet. Designed to be quick and manoeuvrable, inshore lifeboats can operate in shallower water, near cliffs and rocks meaning crews can get as close as possible to those in trouble.
Lough Ree RNLI lifeboat station has had their Atlantic 85 B Class ‘Tara Scougall’ saving lives on the lake and river since November 2019 when it arrived at the station. It has gone on to launch 156 times, aid 533 people and assist 152 boats.
The ‘Tara Scougall’ is the fifth Atlantic class boat to see service on Lough Ree following on from the ‘Martin Harvey’, ‘Margaret Bench of Solihull’, ‘Eric Rowse’ and the charity’s first lifeboat on Lough Ree the ‘Dorothy Mary.’
“Lough Ree RNLI and its lifeboats have enabled our volunteer crew to reach areas close to shore, on islands and rocks to rescue people in trouble. These fast and highly manoeuvrable lifesaving craft answered the need for a quicker and more agile response to rescues in areas of water that were more challenging to the larger and slower all-weather lifeboats.
“The ‘Tara Scougall’ is part of our community and suits the demands of the rescues we attend. With its unique features and capabilities it has made a huge difference to the efficiency and effectiveness of our 24/7 search and rescue service.
‘Tara Scougall’ has aided many people in difficult situations, whether that’s people swimming in the lake, boats in trouble or water users in need of our help,” Kevin Ganly, Volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager at Lough Ree RNLI, said.
“The Atlantic 85 lifeboat is a very capable lifeboat to work with. Whether you’re heading to the scene of an incident, conducting a careful search or carrying out the actual rescue, she’s got all the power and kit you could want,” Bernie Larkin, Station Mechanic at Lough Ree RNLI lifeboat station, added.
The RNLI builds and maintains most of its inshore lifeboats in house at their Inshore Lifeboat Centre in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. This allows the charity to have greater control over costs and quality ensuring they produce the best lifesaving asset for their crews and spend their supporters’ donations in the most efficient and effective way.
