Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton Constituency, has called on the Scottish Government to site a Fire and Rescue Service rescue boat on Loch Lomond, in the wake of further tragic deaths this summer.

Jackie Baillie cited a response from Scottish Fire and Rescue which she received which details the fact that the closest rescue boat to Loch Lomond is based at Knightswood and can take over 25 minutes to reach the Loch during an emergency. Jackie Baillie asked the Scottish Government to conduct an urgent review into the location of Scottish Fire and Rescue assets so that a boat is based at Loch Lomond.

Ash Denham, the Minister for Community Safety, agreed that she would speak with the Scottish Fire and Rescue to review the location of rescue boats.

Local MSP, Jackie Baillie said:

“Far too many people have tragically lost their lives throughout the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, including a number who died after getting into difficulty this summer in Loch Lomond.

“The Luss rescue boat does a fantastic job, run by volunteers, but it cannot be the only source of rescue given that the Loch is 39 kilometres long. It is vitally important that the Scottish Fire and Rescue team review the locations of their rescue boats as having one 25 minutes away is simply not good enough.

“Scottish Fire and Rescue must station a rescue boat at Loch Lomond to avoid further deaths.”