Mother's Emotional Reunion with RNLI Heroes After Paddleboard Rescue at Sea
Mandy Galloway, a 45-year-old mother, has shared an emotional reunion with the RNLI lifeboat volunteers who rescued her after a terrifying paddleboard ordeal that left her clinging to life in the cold waters off the coast of Fife. The incident, which occurred in July 2023, saw Ms Galloway swept two miles out to sea, leading to a dramatic rescue that she credits with saving her life.
A Sudden Turn of Events
Ms Galloway was paddleboarding with her partner near Kingsbarns in Fife when the weather took a dangerous turn. The wind unexpectedly intensified, dragging both individuals out to sea. While her partner managed to paddle back to shore and urged her to follow, Ms Galloway found herself struggling against the powerful currents.
"I was panicking. I was really panicking and really crying," she recalled. "I'd got myself in such a state screaming to him not to leave me." Despite her best efforts, she was unable to make progress and decided to stop paddling, focusing instead on staying atop her board. However, a large wave struck, knocking her into the water and flipping the board upside down.
Fighting for Survival
Clad only in a swimming costume, a T-shirt, and a pair of Crocs, Ms Galloway clung desperately to the fin of her paddleboard as sea conditions worsened. She described rapidly losing body heat, stating, "I started to get colder and colder, I couldn't feel my legs, I couldn't feel my body... my whole body that was in the water, I couldn't feel that." Her grip on the fin began to falter, and she believed she was moments from letting go.
"I would say, probably before the life crew got to me, I was minutes away from just letting go, minutes," she said. "In that instant, I had just kind of accepted that I was going to die there. I thought, right, well, my kids have not got a mum now, that's it."
The Rescue Operation
Once the alarm was raised, two RNLI lifeboats were launched from Anstruther lifeboat station. The search proved challenging due to choppy seas and the fact that Ms Galloway's paddleboard had a white underside, while she wore blue clothing, making her difficult to spot. Scott Brown, a crew member on the inshore lifeboat, explained, "At the end of the search there was still no casualty. So that's when we then went to local knowledge. We knew which way the tide was going, the wind, and we extended the search."
He added, "At that point, we're really concerned – all three of us were worried that, basically we're looking for needle in a haystack. Thankfully, (fellow crew member) Louis McNaught spotted the paddleboard in the distance after it crested a wave, and then we found Mandy." Upon locating her after approximately 90 minutes in the water, the crew's relief turned to urgency when they saw her severe condition.
"She was really bad. We needed to get her out that water quick," Mr Brown said. "She was extremely hypothermic, really weak, and she just looked like someone who didn't have long left. She just didn't look in a good way at all." Ms Galloway was pulled from the water, received immediate treatment from the crew—including a doctor on the all-weather lifeboat—and was transported to hospital upon reaching shore, where she was released a few hours later.
A Grateful Reunion
More than two years after the rescue, Ms Galloway returned to Anstruther lifeboat station to personally thank the volunteers. "It's amazing to see them," she said. "They are heroes. They're heroes in a lot of people's eyes, and they're definitely in mine and my family. Without them, I wouldn't be here." She expressed immense gratitude, noting that she has since welcomed three grandchildren she might never have met.
"I just felt so grateful, so grateful. My kids are like my world, so that just meant everything to me," she shared. "And since then, I've got three grandkids that I would never have got to see, and I've waited for that for so long, to have grandkids, so that I'm grateful for as well."
Supporting the RNLI
Ms Galloway's story coincides with the RNLI's Mayday appeal, which includes the Mayday Mile challenge encouraging people to complete a mile a day in May to raise funds. She urged public support, stating, "So everybody's grateful for what they do, and for the voluntary job that they do. I can't ask enough for people to donate. It's an amazing job that they do." New statistics reveal that RNLI lifeboats launched 9,058 times in the UK in 2025, saving 272 lives, with 1,172 of those launches occurring in Scotland.
This heartfelt reunion underscores the critical role of RNLI volunteers in maritime safety and the profound impact of their lifesaving work on individuals and families across the nation.
