A choppy sail for RNLI crew as they train on Loch Ness during Storm Dennis
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WHEN most people think of Loch Ness they think of calm water, rippled only by the curves of Nessie, but that wasn't the case for the volunteer RNLI team who went for a trip amid Storm Dennis.
In an exhilarating training exercise on Sunday, crew members were treated to a experience that saw them bouncing around as they simulated an emergency call out.
Helmswoman Leanne Greatrex, who arranged the training session on Sunday, said she organised the day to provide a valuable rough-weather experience for the crew.
The new helm said: "Last week I had been on a boat handling course at the RNLI College, a purpose-built crew training facility in Poole, to hone my skills at the helm of our B-Class inshore lifeboat."
She continued: "The storm on Sunday provided me with the perfect opportunity to consolidate what I had learnt during the week, as well as providing valuable rough-weather experience for the rest of the crew. We are more likely to have callouts when the weather is bad, so it is really important that all of our volunteers are comfortable operating in poor conditions.
"Our lifeboat was well up to the task, but it was still very cold and wet!"
Click here to see them in action
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.
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