HMS Gannet, the Royal Navy’s helicopter search and rescue unit in Prestwick, undertook a record-breaking 447 call-outs in 2009.

Newly released government statistics reveal that the base responded to 65 more call-outs last year than their own record-breaking total of 382 in 2008. The figure of 447 equates to a fifth of the UK’s total military SAR call-outs for 2009.

There are eight military SAR bases around the UK, as well as four Coastguard stations. HMS Gannet covers an area of some 98,000 square miles of northern England – from the border down to the Lake District – as well as western Scotland and the whole of Northern Ireland.

The unit provides a 24/7 search and rescue capability 365 days a year, saving lives on the mountains, at sea, on the roads and also supplying specialist medical evacuation from Scotland’s Hebridean islands.

HMS Gannet have claimed four records for last year’s call-out count: for the busiest UK helicopter search and rescue unit with a new call-out record, for most people rescued in one year, the first unit ever to go above 400 call-outs for a single year and first unit ever to set new records year-on-year three years in a row.

“This is an extraordinary achievement,” said the unit’s Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander Debdash Bhattacharya. “I am immensely proud of each and every individual who is a part of the close knit team at HMS Gannet.

“From the aircrew to the engineers, weather forecasters, office staff, ground crews and support staff, absolutely everyone plays their part in ensuring that there is a search and rescue helicopter ready to respond 24 hours a day to whatever the call may be.

“It’s a phenomenal sustained effort aimed at supporting the people of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, who can feel a little safer in the knowledge that we are ready to help at a moment’s notice.”

Last month, it was announced that the UK’s search and rescue services were to be taken over by a private consortium, Soteria, from 2012. This looks likely to mean the moving of rescue services from the base at Gannet to Glasgow Airport.