MP David Maclean fights for return of Burgh by Sands rescue boat
Last updated 13:19, Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Cumbrian MP David Maclean has pledged to fight for the return of the Burgh by Sands rescue boat.
The 20-year-old vessel has been removed by HM Coastguard because it does not meet safety standards.
And Mr Maclean, Conservative MP for Penrith and the Border, says the government has now confirmed it will not be replaced.
He claims the news was broken to him by Jim Fitzpatrick, a minister at the Department for Transport.
Mr Maclean said: “The minister maintains that ‘In practice, for rescues at the upper reaches of the Solway Firth at low tide, Liverpool Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre is more likely to task a search and rescue helicopter or a mud rescue team approaching on foot across the mud flats.’
“This is an absolutely ludicrous suggestion from a cost-cutting government. If the tide were so low that a rescue team could rescue people by walking over the mud then they would not need rescuing in the first place.
“The government must either bring back the boat or, if it is faulty, give us a new one. This is taking cost-cutting too far and I shall continue to fight for the return of this vital service.”
Carlisle City Council has already voted to continue the campaign to re-instate the boat which was involved in rescuing residents during the floods of January 2005.
Councillor John Collier, who represents the area, recently won all-party backing for his motion.
He said: “It gives me great concern that this action was taken without any consultation whatsoever.
“We were told that Silloth lifeboat would take its place. They sent it out twice into the Solway and it got stuck twice. They also told us that an RAF helicopter could be sent but that takes 45 minutes. This is a serious situation.”
Speaking as someone who has been caught out by the tidal bore on the solway estuary, I am stunned that this boat has been removed. My friend and I who were fishing low water marks at the time did not need rescuing, but that was very much down to luck.
The solway estuary is an extremely dangerous place, to have it "covered" by the silloth boat is totally inadequate, the spped of the tide alone could move someone miles in the time it would take the boat to respond.
Well done Mr Maclean for speaking out, perhaps Mr Martlew could speak out to?
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5 boats were taken out of service on june 11th 2008,as far as i know,none have been replaced
Posted by ron on 4 October 2008 kl. 16:55