MSP Jackie Baillie has secured £5,000 in funding to help relocate the Loch Lomond Rescue Boat in a bid to save more lives.
The service, entirely manned by volunteers, as been based at Luss since it was founded in 1977.
Its crew is looking for a new base and has identified a suitable site in Balloch – but around £300,000 in funding will be required to get it up and running.
The Dumbarton constituency MSP has secured the grant from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service which will help add to fundraising efforts for the new boatshed.
She said: “I am delighted to have secured this funding.
“I have had many discussions over the last 18 months, since the tragic death of Ava Gray at Balloch, to ensure the area is properly covered by rescue crews.
“Having also discussed the matter directly with the rescue boat, relocation to Balloch as opposed to an additional vessel is the preferred way forward and they have my support in their quest to achieve that.
“The important thing now is to make sure that this is done promptly and the authorities involved ensure that the land is made available for the rescue boat at the earliest opportunity in time for the busy summer season. The last thing anyone wants to see is more horrific tragedies on our local waterways.”
James Macrae, treasurer for Loch Lomond Rescue Boat, says that traffic and the popularity of the area with tourists has meant the original site at Luss is no longer suitable.
Mr Macrae said: “The problem is, in 1977, there was probably about 20% of traffic compared to now.
“Most of the crew are coming from Jamestown, Balloch, Alexandria, Bonhill and the majority of our shouts happen when the roads are most crowded. On a summer weekend, it’s just a nightmare.”
Between July and September last year, the rescue boat was kept in the water close to Duncan Mills Memorial Slipway – which is near to the preferred site for the new boatshed.
During this time, response times were accelerated but Mr Macrae says the vessel can’t remain in the water for prolonged periods of time as its condition will deteriorate and it could be attacked by vandals.
He explained: “Getting the crew to the boatshed quickly is vital.
“When we had the boat parked from July to the end of September, there were various callouts. In some cases, the first member of the crew got there within three minutes of the pager going off as opposed to, if the road was busy, 40 minutes or longer to get to Luss.
“The place is crawling with tourists and so it could be another five to six minutes on arrival for them to make their way through the crowds.
“It just isn’t working at all. If they were in Balloch, they could respond so much quicker.
“If we don’t get a move soon, there’s going to be more deaths. This has to happen absolutely as soon as possible.
“I would hate to think people would die in the future because we have not got sufficient infrastructure to be in the right place.”
The preferred land identified is owned by Scottish Enterprise who are in discussion with the national park authority over its transfer.
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