Lifeboat investment plea for Galloway

A DEDICATED group of volunteers are working to bring back a Galloway lifeboat service.

The Fleet and Wigtown Bay Inshore Rescue service (FWBIRS) responded to hundreds of emergencies since it was founded in 1974.

But the group has been unable to attend 999 call-outs since 2024 after the introduction of new rules about rescue boats.

Now the service requires a £140,000 investment for a new boat, equipment, safety gear and an upgraded station to get them back on the water. So far through a number of fundraisers and donations the crew have managed to raise £78,980.

Trustees of the charity says lives are being put at risk and they are hoping the public can help raise the remaining £61,000 to get back them back in the water. The group believes the speed of deploying crews, alongside vital knowledge of the waterways, can be the difference between life and death, stating: “The service developed out of concern at the lack of immediate rescue facilities within Fleet Bay. Fleet Bay had always attracted a large number of locals, visitors and water sports enthusiasts and there was the worry that lives could be in jeopardy without a permanent rescue boat stationed somewhere within the bay.

“We work very closely with the RNLI lifeboat station at Kirkcudbright, but it can take them anywhere between 45 minutes and 90 minutes to get into the bay depending on the sea conditions. Having a local boat which can get to an incident in less than half that time can make all the difference to the outcome.”

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has come out in support of the group’s plan to bring a lifeboat into service, with a spokesperson adding: “Fleet Bay Inshore is currently not an HM Coastguard declared asset available for search and rescue.

“HM Coastguard is in contact with the organisation and is supporting it to meet operational requirements to bring the lifeboat into service.”

• To donate to the FWBIRS fundraiser visit: www.justgiving.com and search ‘Getting back on the water in 2026’.