RNLI confirms change to Berwick-upon-Tweed lifeboat provision

The Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat, which has been trialled at the station for the past nine months, will operate alongside Berwick’s smaller D-class inshore lifeboat.

The RNLI says detailed analysis of rescues carried out by the station over a 10-year period shows that an Atlantic 85 would have been able to deal with 97 per cent of the services responded to by the all-weather lifeboat.

In some cases, the higher speed and better manoeuvrability of the Atlantic 85 means it would have been a more suitable rescue vessel than the current Mersey class.

Kevin Knox, RNLI lifeboat station operations manager at Berwick, said: “As a station we are disappointed with the decision that we will no longer be an all-weather lifeboat station.

“Our Mersey has served us so well for almost 30 years and we will be sad to see her go. But we understand why the decision has been made and will work together to implement the changes and future plans for the station.

“As a strong and committed team of volunteers, we give our time to save lives at sea and this is something we will continue to do.”

The RNLI plans to carry out improvements and upgrades to Berwick’s lifeboat station to prepare the volunteers for their new lifeboat and ensure they have the best possible station facilities.

It aims to complete this work and have the new lifeboat configuration at the station in place by summer 2023.

The lifeboats decision in Berwick was approved by the RNLI’s trustees following a review of the charity’s life-saving assets in the north of the county.

Ross Barraclough, RNLI head of region for the North and East, said: “A detailed analysis of launch data shows that the services by Berwick RNLI all-weather lifeboat in the 10 years covered by the coast review could have been carried out safely and effectively by an Atlantic 85 lifeboat, with support from flank stations if required.

“The change of life-saving configuration at Berwick will amount to an improvement to our life-saving capability in the area.

“With a top speed of 35 knots, the Atlantic 85 is much faster than both the Mersey and the Shannon Class all-weather lifeboats, it can reach casualties more quickly and it also has a better shallow-water capability.

“By making this change, we will be adjusting the service to better address the risks that we are tasked to respond to in this area.

“We are very grateful for all that our volunteers do and are confident the Berwick crew will continue to maintain their superb life-saving tradition.

“Since the Atlantic 85 has been on trial at the station, the crew have shown a great level of commitment to familiarise themselves with the boat and gain the necessary operational training.

“We understand this may not have been the decision they were hoping for, but I hope they will continue to work with us to prepare for a new era of life-saving at Berwick.”