widget/exchange-29
widget/exchange-30widget/exchange-33
widget/exchange-31

News / Assessments undertaken on airport water rescue craft

The Sumburgh based water rescue craft being launched from West Voe. Photo: Ronnie Robertson

ISLAND and community impact assessments have been undertaken by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) as part of its review of its water rescue fleet, which includes a craft at Sumburgh Airport.

It is understood there have been assurances given locally that the rescue craft at Sumburgh is not likely to be under threat and that it could be replaced with a different model.

Seven of HIAL’s 11 airports have water rescue provision, including rescue craft, a jet ski and a mud rescue team. They are based at Sumburgh, Barra, Benbecula, Dundee, Islay, Kirkwall and Stornoway.

Fast rescue craft allow crews to head out onto the water in case of an accident.

A spokesperson for HIAL said island and community impact assessments have now been undertaken as part of the review, which was first revealed last year.

“As part of the review process, a programme of community engagement will be undertaken in the summer,” they added.

offset-carousel/post-mobile/0

“Changes to existing provision, if deemed necessary, will be made once the review is completed.”

Sumburgh Airport’s rescue craft was used after the Super Puma helicopter crash in which four people died off the coast of Shetland in 2013.

However, it took almost an hour to reach the scene due to tidal conditions – leading to an investigation calling for the launching slipway at Quendale, which is to the west of the airport, to be modified to avoid the tide issues in the future.

The nearest water based rescue service to Sumburgh Airport after the airport craft is the Lerwick lifeboat some 25 miles away.

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 
widget/exchange-62widget/pd_widget-6widget/exchange-53widget/pd_widget-7widget/exchange-63widget/exchange-54widget/pd_widget-8widget/exchange-55widget/pd_widget-9widget/exchange-56

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.