Fife schoolgirl rushes from science class to assist RNLI emergency call out

Danielle Marr, a final year student at Waid Academy in Anstruther, rushed to the town’s lifeboat station to assist a 28ft vessel that had suffered mechanical failure off the coast of Crail, Fife.

The 18-year-old, who became an Royal National Lifeboat Institution volunteer just a few months ago, joined with other RNLI staff at around 10.40am yesterday (Wednesday) before setting off to assist the rescue which was completed at 1.30pm.

Danielle, whose older brother Anthony has volunteered at the station for 12 years, said when was assisting a junior pupil in a science class when my pager sounded.

“It was a strange feeling as it’s the first time I have heard the pager go off in school and the teachers and staff were great to allow me to exit so quickly,” she explained.

“The shout itself went exactly to plan as we regularly practice towing the all-weather lifeboat with our D class and vice versa so it wasn’t the first time on this task but it certainly was a different feeling doing it in a shout scenario.”

And it proved an equally dramatic day for mother-of-two Louise McNicoll, who was also called to attend her first emergency call out.

The 30-year-old was getting her young son ready for nursery when her pager went off.

“I had the added extra of dropping my son at my mum’s house on the way to the station,” said Louise,

“It was great to see the training we practice put into action and having my first shout alongside Danielle was an added bonus.

“The senior crew assisted us in what we had to do and all in all it was a job well done.”

Now back on dry land, the pair have returned to the normal lives but say they are already set to help when the next ‘shout’ comes.