Poignant final call-out for Filey RNLI's all-weather lifeboat at the end of its 30-year service as crews search for missing person

Filey RNLI volunteers have concluded what they expect to be the final 'shout' using the station's 30-year-old all-weather lifeboat.

Crews will sail the Mersey class vessel, named Keep Fit Association, to Lowestoft at dawn on Thursday, with her future yet to be decided.

Three days before retirement, she took part in one last call-out - joining the search for a vulnerable missing person.

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Humber Coastguard requested RNLI assistance on Monday afternoon to help rescue teams from Scarborough and Filey North Yorkshire Police and the NPAS aircraft in the search operation.

The call-out was expected to be the Mersey class vessel's final 'shout'The call-out was expected to be the Mersey class vessel's final 'shout'
The call-out was expected to be the Mersey class vessel's final 'shout'

Both of the Filey station's vessels were launched, with the Mersey class commanded by coxswain Neil Cammish alongside crew Ian Butler, Gary Wilson, Tyler Fawthrop, Liam Frampton and Dougie Ward.

Both boats covered an area from Hunmanby Gap to the south of Filey to a place known locally as Chimney Hole to the north of Filey Brigg in a search for a vulnerable person who had been missing for a significant period of time.

After more than two hours searching in cold conditions and with nothing found, both boats were stood down by the Coastguard and returned to Coble Landing.

At the end of this month, Filey's new lifeboat, an Atlantic 85 vessel, will arrive and training on it will begin.

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