Airbed A BOY AND A GIRL being blown out to sea on an airbed off Ardrossan were reported to the honorary secretary of Troon lifeboat station by HM Coastguard at 1525 on Tuesday June 21. Five minutes later Troon's 44ft Waveney lifeboat Connel Elizabeth Cargill slipped her mooring under the command of Coxswain/Mechanic Ian Johnson and set out for Ardrossan, some ten miles to the north west.

It was a sunny afternoon with good visibility and a slight sea, but a moderate to fresh north-easterly breeze, force 4 to 5, was blowing off shore.

Arriving off Saltcoats Beach at 1600, the lifeboat asked Ardrossan Coastguard Mobile if they could see the airbed; she was told to hold her present course and that a small boat had picked up one person. By 1601 the lifeboat was alongside the dinghy in the bottom of which the girl was lying. Crew Members Robert Hannah and Roy Trewern quickly boarded the dinghy to startmouth to mouth resuscitation right away as the girl was lifted into the lifeboat; the boy was brought aboard and taken down below.

An RN helicopter arrived overhead at 1604 and a paramedic was lowered on to the lifeboat to help the crew working to revive the girl. Although every effort was continued while the lifeboat made for Ardrossan Harbour, the girl did not respond.

Ardrossan was reached at 1612 and within a few minutes the girl had been transferred to an ambulance and was on her way to hospital; sadly, however, she did not recover.

The boy was landed into the care of the shore authorities and the lifeboat returned to station, re-entering Troon Harbour at 1718.

For this service a letter signed by Cdr Bruce Cairns, chief of operations, expressing the Institution's appreciation to Crew Members Robert Hannah and Roy Trewern was sent to Mr J. Manson, Troon station honorary secretary..