VOLUNTEERS from Loch Lomond’s Rescue Boat have thanked the community for their “heartening” support after a tragic year.

Life boat crews responded to four drownings in just two days in Loch Lomond over the summer period.

Connor Markward, 16, died on Friday, July 23 whilst playing with friends in the loch near Balloch Country Park.

The following day, Edina Olahova, 29, Rana Haris Ali, nine, and Muhammad Asim Riaz, 39, died after getting into difficulty in the water off Pulpit Rock, near Ardlui.

Now volunteers have thanked the public for their support throughout the year, and spoken of the positive impact moving the rescue boat from Luss to Balloch had on response times.

Calum Stevens, who co-ordinates social media and marketing for the crew, told the Reporter: “The rescue boat is usually based in Luss but that can cause problems, particularly during the summer.

“The boat is utterly crucial, on some busy days during the summer there can be seven or eight shouts in just one day.

“Most of the crew live in Balloch or the Dumbarton area so getting to the boat quickly when there is lots of traffic is a challenge.

“The boat moved down to Balloch at the National Park headquarters over the summer and it made a huge difference in terms of response times. We will definitely be doing the same again next summer.

“The boat was on scene within around five minutes at some of the tragic fatalities that happened this year.

“The difficult thing with drownings – as opposed to other incidents – is that once somebody goes under the water, unless you get to them and find them within a few short minutes then it is usually a tragic outcome sadly. It is still important to do what we can and to recover the bodies for the family.”

The life boat volunteers are still hunting for a permanent new home which they say will make a “huge difference”.

Calum added: “We need to do some sort of serious fund-raising in order to relocate. Fingers crossed, we should be able to get some land but there will obviously be cost involved in building the new boat shed which will have to be funded.

“It will make a huge difference to the response time during the summer.”

As 2021 draws to a close, Calum thanked the public for their support and urged them to behave responsibly when the warm weather returns.

He added: “We’d like to say thanks to the public for their support, both financial and moral. It’s been lovely to see and very heartening.

“A lot of the crew have had a tough time this year, going from one tragedy to the next, but seeing that the community is behind the boat is really nice and helps a lot.

“We just want people to think about water safety. Don’t jump in the Loch if you have been drinking alcohol.

“The loch can be very cold and it catches people off guard – even in the middle of a hot summer.”