First RNLI inshore lifeboat with radar goes into service at Blackpool

The Atlantic 85 is the first RNLI inshore lifeboat to have radar

The first inshore lifeboat with radar has gone into service at Blackpool.

The £204,000 Atlantic 85, for use in shallow sea, was paid for at the bequest of Mr Seed from Stockport who died in 2009 and is called William and Eleanor, after he and his sister.

Compared to the previous lifeboat, the new RNLI craft has room for a fourth crew member and more casualties.

The added radar also means the lifeboat can operate more effectively in reduced visibility.

Colin Lowe, a volunteer crew member from Blackpool who was involved in the development of the new boat, said it was a proud moment.

"We're all so excited about the arrival of our new Atlantic 85 because it will give us even more lifesaving capability," he said.

William and Eleanor, based at the RNLI station on Central Promenade, replaces Bickerstaffe, an Atlantic 75 class vessel which was in service for 15 years.

Blackpool RNLI Lifeboat Operations manager Keith Horrocks said: "'We are so grateful for the extraordinary generosity of Mr Seed.

"Every time our new lifeboat is launched it will be a lasting tribute to his memory, and his kindness will help us to continue to help people in difficulty at sea.'