RNLI bosses have a duty to answer Arbroath lifeboat Mayday call

“Will you answer our Mayday call?”

Those words – accompanied by a video of a woman in tears being comforted by a lifeboat crew and a plea to donate and become a ‘lifesaver’ – are among the first that greet you on the RNLI’s website.

It is a scene that perfectly encapsulates the vital work that lifeboat stations up and down the land do, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

And it is one that proves that volunteer lifeboat crews are not just an asset to the communities they serve, they are necessity.

Arbroath RNLI crew lined up in front of the town's lifeboat — Arbroath RNLI operations manager Alex Smith with the crew and their awards for bravery during Storm Arwen last year. Image: RNLI.

Without them, lives would be lost needlessly.

With them, those imperilled at sea have a fighting chance of making it home to their loved ones.

The selfless crew members who choose to put their own lives on the line in order to protect others are the true guardian angels of our coastlines.

But the recent decision to downgrade Arbroath lifeboat station’s boat from a full all-weather craft to a less capable inflatable RIB has shattered confidence in the Angus town, and led to the local crew raising a Mayday call of their own.

Large room packed with hundreds of people — Locals packed the Meadowbank Inn last week to register their unhappiness over an RNLI decision to downgrade the Arbroath lifeboat. Image: Paul Reid

The central issue is that the volunteers – and the wider community that supports the RNLI so wholeheartedly – simply do not understand why the status of the station is to be eroded.

And the fear is that a move to an inshore RIB will, ultimately, either compromise the safety of the crew or diminish the station’s operational sphere in the North Sea to such an extent that lives which may be saved today, could be lost tomorrow.

RNLI chiefs must answer Arbroath community concerns

The concern in the town – which has not been a stranger to tragedy at sea and which still has such a deep-rooted social and economic connection with the North Sea – is as palpable as it is understandable.

black and white photo of Robert Lindsay lifeboat in 1950s — Six crewmen died when the Arbroath lifeboat Robert Lindsay was lost in 1953. Image: Arbroath RNLI/Paul Reid.

In such a febrile atmosphere, the RNLI should be doing everything in its power to explain its decision making and pour calm on troubled waters.

Instead, it did little more than drop its Arbroath bombshell and run for cover.

That is not good enough for such proud and venerable institution.

The people of Arbroath owe a huge debt of gratitude to the RNLI for its incredible work over generations.

But the unstinting charitable support provided by the Angus community to the RNLI at Arbroath and Montrose demands that when questions arise – as they are right now – answers are forthcoming.

Respect, after all, is a two-way street.

Arbroath lifeboat crew members applauded by audience members — Applause for members of the Arbroath RNLI crew who were standing at the back of the packed room during last week’s meeting. Image: Paul Reid.

The Courier’s offer to host a public meeting in Arbroath to provide the RNLI with a platform to explain the rationale behind the downgrading decision is an open one.

We believe it is in the best interests of all involved – the RNLI, the local lifeboat crew and the community which it so steadfastly serves – for there to be a full open and honest public debate on the downgrade and, crucially, the decision making that led to it.

That is a conversation that may involve real challenge for the RNLI. But if the rationale is not explained fully then it is difficult to see how any party can move on.

The Mayday call has gone up from Arbroath.

The RNLI – like its operational crews – has a duty to answer.