We spent a day with the hero East Lothian life-saving RNLI crew and learnt so much

Gliding through the open sea on a sunny, calm, winter's day watching fishing trawlers pass by and a seal leap from a buoy into the water - there are definitely worse ways to spent a Wednesday morning.

However, the reality for each member of the Dunbar RNLI crew is every time they are onboard a lifeboat, there are lives at risk and not one second to spare taking in the scenery.

Celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2024, the RNLI lifeboat crew in Dunbar have collectively saved 329 lives and launched over 1,300 times in its history.

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On Wednesday, November 6, I was lucky enough to be invited to the East Lothian coast to see first-hand how much preparation and hard work the crew carry out 365 days a year to ensure those on the water are safe.

The team are on hand 24/7 to respond to casualties in difficulty, stricken vessels, missing people and even dogs who decide to jump over the sea wall onto the rocks below.

Whatever the occasion, the 30-strong team - largely made up of volunteers - go through rigorous training exercises to ensure they can respond to a distress call at the drop of a hat.

Douglas Wight, the lifeboat press officer and crew member, recalled leaving his grass half mown when his pager sounded, leaving his wife rather confused when she returned home.

At the crew's station there is an inflatable D class lifeboat which can be launched immediately with the help of a tractor. For more complex shouts, a Trent class all-weather lifeboat is ready and waiting near Torness Power Station.

Fortunately, I was given special permission to travel out to Torness and board the vessel before being given a tour onboard, speaking with the crew and even having a shot at driving on the open water.

Douglas has been part of the Dunbar crew for nine years and is a journalist by trade.

"I wanted to give something back," he said.

"When my family and I moved to Dunbar there was an open day and they were looking for volunteers so I just thought I'll go along and see if they need me."

"The pager always seems to go off when you least expect it," Dougie joked.

"My wife has come home and found the lawn half cut. I've had to cut off phone calls and just run. The way we answer the call as volunteers is 'if you can respond, you respond'.

"You drop everything and just go. Sometimes in the middle of the night it can be disorientating as you go from sleeping to being out at sea helping a fishing boat within half an hour. It's a very strange experience, but very rewarding."

While I enjoyed a leisurely day out getting kitted out with waterproof wellies, jackets and trousers before learning about the boat's navigation system and onboard equipment, it was easy to forget just how much is at stake for the crew every time they get a shout.

The team are often faced with challenges while out at sea such as tracing a missing person in the dead of night and navigating extremely rough seas in the middle of a storm.

"One shout which stands out was in the middle of Storm Ciara. We got called out at 2am to a broken down fishing boat and it ended up being a 12-hour shout due to the state of the tide," Dougie continued.

"We couldn't get the boat into harbour so we had to wait for the tide to turn, by which point the weather deteriorated and wind picked up. It was really challenging and the last thing we thought of when the pager went off."

Throughout the day I was joined by crew members Gordon Mackay, second coxswain on the all-weather lifeboat with 19 years experience, Alistair Punton, a mechanic with 31 years experience, Adrian Lavery, helm on the inshore lifeboat and crew member on the all-weather boat with 17 years experience and Alex Williams, part of the all-weather and inshore lifeboat crew.

Having joined this year as a volunteer, Alex also has ten years experience working with the Scottish Ambulance Service. Adrian, who was also part of the North Berwick RNLI crew, told me he witnessed the boat launching at the harbour one day and told his wife how he'd love to be a part of the team.

Shortly after uttering the words himself, his wife disappeared and returned shortly after to tell him the station were expecting him the following week.

Alex, 35, is one of the team's newest recruits and explained how being part of the RNLI differs from his day job being a paramedic.

He said: "My job for the for six months was training and getting up to speed. We have a great team with great guys who are always on hand to help teach me and who I learn from.

"When the pagers go off we get to the station as quick as we can then get a brief. Sometimes it's an immediate launch and on some occasions we wait for a little more information.

"In the summer we tend to help out a lot of people out on the sea recreationally if they find themselves in trouble. Fisherman sometimes have issues with engines. We do get the odd tragic incident but thankfully they are relatively rare.

"One of the most challenging aspects is dealing with the limitations posed to you by the sea. Working in the dark can be tough as well. We need to maintain our night vision.

"For me, I joined the RNLI to expand my skillset as being out at sea and treating patients inland is completely different. You have to deal with an unstable environment and different types of injuries.

"I'm an avid kayaker and didn't have the rescue of boat rescue and towing which I am beginning to learn. It's a brilliant role to be involved in and you get a sense of reward being involved in life-saving situations."

In 2023 the Dunbar lifeboat was launched 16 times. Onboard the Trent class all-weather lifeboat is a variety of different tools and equipment - each one with its own purpose.

The boat contains an A-frame, designed to life people out of the water, a salvage pump which is used for release water from a boat beginning to sink as well as radars, radios and depth gages on the top deck.

The boat is also equipped to search for casualties and vessels during the night with multiple powerful search lights. Another inflatable lifeboat is also stored onboard.

Inside the cabin, a wide range of navigation systems and communication devices allow the crew to speak with the coastguard and track where they are on sea. The boat can also be driven inside the cabin if during harsh weather and rough conditions.

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When the crew are not out saving lives, they often find themselves conducting training exercises to keep their skills fresh in their mind and up to scratch. Volunteers also visit local schools and community events to educate people on how to stay safe on the water.

Crew member Dougie said: "We invite kids to the station to show them around because this is their lifeboat. We rely on donations so we want to show people what they're paying for.

"Float to live is a massive message from us. The keys thing to take onboard are making a note of the tide times and the weather, knowing to call for help if you see something suspicious.

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"Lie on your back in a starfish position is what we urge people in difficulty to do and fight the urge to swim as you could lose your energy very quickly.

"Being a volunteer comes with pressure as lives are at risk but the RNLI trains us to a high standard. If we are not safe, we can't help other people, that's the paramount message."

For more information about Dunbar's life-saving crew and to make a donation, you can visit here.