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Henry WeaverRNLI Press Officer at Scotland.
The lifeboat used rough co-ordinates from the coastguard and the signal from the EPIRB to locate the stricken yacht and were on scene within 45 minutes of the authorities begin alerted
Lifeboats News Release
The volunteer lifeboat crew from Mallaig were paged at 9:30pm yesterday (Wednesday 1 August) and immediately launched to rescue the French crew from their capsized catamaran off the Isle of Skye.
The catamaran got into difficulty North of Mallaig, it is believed that the adverse weather conditions caused the vessel to capsize and it had become completely inverted. The incident unfolded so quickly that the crew were unable to call for help on the radio or release a distress flare.The coastguard was alerted by the activation of the EPIRB (emergency position-indicating radio beacon) and requested the launch of the Mallaig all-weather lifeboat.The lifeboat used rough co-ordinates from the coastguard and the signal from the EPIRB to locate the stricken yacht and were on scene within 45 minutes of the authorities begin alerted.Michael Ian Currie is Coxswain on the Mallaig lifeboat. Michael said, ‘Once we knew we were close we used the radio signal from the EPIRB to locate the vessel and after a short time she emerged out of the rain and murk.’The inflatable Y-boat was launched and the two women and five men were rescued from the upturned hull of the yacht and brought safely to the lifeboat where they were seen to by Dennis Eddie. Dennis is a full time paramedic and volunteers on the lifeboat crew.No one was injured; the lifeboat returned all casualties safely to shore.VideoThe video accompanying this news release was taken from the Mallaig all-weather lifeboat and is credited to the RNLI.RNLI media contacts:Richard Smith, RNLI Public Relations Manager for Scotland, 01738 642956, 07786 668903, richard_smith2@rnli.org.uk
Henry Weaver, RNLI Press Officer for Scotland, 01738 642986, 07771 943026, henry_weaver@rnli.org.uk
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is the charity that saves lives at sea. Our volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland from 236 lifeboat stations, including four along the River Thames and inland lifeboat stations at Loch Ness, Lough Derg, Enniskillen and Lough Ree. Additionally the RNLI has more than 1,000 lifeguards on over 180 beaches around the UK and operates a specialist flood rescue team, which can respond anywhere across the UK and Ireland when inland flooding puts lives at risk.
The RNLI relies on public donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. As a charity it is separate from, but works alongside, government-controlled and funded coastguard services. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 our lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved at least 140,000 lives. Volunteers make up 95% of the charity, including 4,600 volunteer lifeboat crew members and 3,000 volunteer shore crew. Additionally, tens of thousands of other dedicated volunteers raise funds and awareness, give safety advice, and help in our museums, shops and offices.
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0845 122 6999 or by email.
The RNLI is a charity registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SC037736). Charity number CHY 2678 in the Republic of Ireland
Our lifeboat crews launch 24 times a day on average. Find out which station has launched near you around the UK and Republic of Ireland. View shouts.
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The lifeboat used rough co-ordinates from the coastguard and the signal from the EPIRB to locate the stricken yacht and were on scene within 45 minutes of the authorities begin alerted