South Scotland MSP Brian Whittle took to the high seas on a visit to the RNLI's Girvan Lifeboat station.
The MSP got kitted up in foul weather gear and joined some of the stations volunteer crew to take their Mersey Class Lifeboat the RNLB Silvia Burrell for a spin. Brian even got to see the crew undertake a rescue exercise when a volunteer jumped into the water to play a casualty.
Girvan is due to have their Lifeboat replaced by the end of the year with new state of the art Shannon Class boat that will be twice as fast and brave MSP Brian has volunteered to return, put on a dry suit and play a casualty for an exercise once the boat's on service.
Speaking after the visit, Brian said:
"The work the RNLI do saves countless lives around the UK every year. Unlike other emergency services, they're funded entirely by donations from the public. You can't really appreciate what amazing pieces of engineering lifeboats are until you've been out on the water in one and it was a privilege to be given the chance to take the controls. I’m looking forward to working with the RNLI to help promote safety in and on the water, and can’t wait to visit the station again when their new boat arrives!
Ayrshire has a phenomenal coastline but it's important to have respect for the water and if you ever want advice about how to be safe on the water then speak to your nearest RNLI station."
A spokesperson for the RNLI said:
“It was a pleasure to welcome Brian along for a visit to Girvan Lifeboat station and to allow him to experience the conditions that our volunteer crews operate within. With the arrival of the new Shannon class lifeboat later this year this will enhance the operational lifesaving capability within the south west of Scotland and continue to keep the coastline safe for all who use the sea for work as well as pleasure. As well as the investment in state of the art lifeboats and equipment we are continuing to develop partnerships at local and national level, to allow us to deliver safety messages, such as our recent Respect the Water Campaign, and through the development of these partnerships, we can hope to keep people safe in and around the water, via educating, supervising and influencing behaviours. “