Why saving lives at sea is truly a family affair in Fraserburgh

The Herald Scotland

14-06-2025

Vic Sutherland, Coxswain for almost 20 years, volunteers alongside his 21-year-old daughter Eilidh, his brother David and his nephew Declan.
Together, the four family members make up part of the crew that helps save lives at sea.
Vic Sutherland said: "It's probably overwhelming for the rest of the crew having four Sutherlands aboard the boat – they probably feel like they can't move for us, but I'm very proud of the family connection."
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He added: "The fact I'm going to sea with David, along with my nephew Declan and now my daughter Eilidh – I'm really proud they're carrying on the family tradition, just as we followed in our dad's footsteps."
The two brothers have half a century in the life-saving organisation between them, and the family's RNLI connection goes back decades.
Mr Sutherland said: "My dad was a fisherman and crew member. I remember the phone ringing and him dropping everything to go – there were no pagers then, just the house phone. You would know within a matter of seconds when it was the lifeboat calling, because my dad would drop the phone and run straight out of the house."
He added: "It certainly set myself and David up with an itch to join the crew, it was a natural progression. I think it gave us a really good grounding, it's great for any youngster coming in. It gives you a sense of responsibility, because obviously the level of commitment that's going to be given is second to none. It also gives you a sense of pride, the fact that you're involved with the station."
Mr Sutherland's daughter Eilidh, who recently joined as crew, says it felt inevitable she would follow the same path.
Vic Snr, Vic, Dave and Declan (Image: RNLI)
She said: "I grew up with the RNLI. My dad always says I've been going about with fundraising buckets since I could walk, and I always remember thinking I would love to be part of the crew."
Despite their close bond, the 21-year-old says professionalism comes first on the boat.
She added: "It's definitely brought us closer, but when I'm at the station, he's not my dad – he's the Coxswain and I'm the crew."
Father's Day itself will be a working one for Vic Sutherland at RNLI Fraserburgh.
He said: "I'll open my cards and get my socks or a bottle of whisky, but I'm on duty this weekend so it's just like any other day. If the pager goes off, you're getting on with it and doing what needs to be done. That's been the way for the whole of Eilidh's life."
He added: "My girls have experienced the pager going off at every kind of time over the years, whether it's a Father's Day, Mother's Day, anniversaries - if the pager goes, you just respond. It wouldn't be the first time they had been left sitting in a restaurant or abandoned sitting in Tesco's with their mum because they've went in for the shopping, I've been sitting in the car and the pager's gone and they understand I've had to go."
And for families considering volunteering together, daughter Eilidh said: "Just go for it. It's brought us closer being there for that part of each other's lives, because it's the biggest part of our lives. Working on the boat with my dad and going out to help people together is just an amazing feeling."
Established in 1858, Fraserburgh was the first RNLI station in Scotland. Its crews have been honoured with 16 awards for gallantry, the most recent of which was in 1997 when a Bronze Medal awarded to Coxswain Albert Sutherland in recognition of his outstanding seamanship and high standard of leadership when the lifeboat City of Edinburgh rescued six people and saved the fishing vessel Hopecrest some 50 miles north east of the lifeboat station in very rough seas and severe gale.