RNLI Invergordon launched to Trio in Dinghy blown offshore
The Invergordon RNLI lifeboat “Douglas Aikman Smith” launched yesterday afternoon to a report of a Dinghy with 3 persons blown offshore.
The volunteer crew of 7 launched the all-weather Trent class Lifeboat at 2.30pm, and made best speed up the Cromarty Firth making way to Nairn East Beach area.
With the reports of 2 adults and child in the inflatable dinghy getting blown up to half a mile offshore the Volunteer crew began preparing the daughter XP Boat to navigate in and bring the causalities back ashore.
With update reports coming from Aberdeen Coastguard it was advised that the dinghy had come to a rest on a Sandbank as the informant on the beach could see one of the adults standing out with the dinghy.
With Local Coastguard teams on the ground, it was deemed by them that they could reach the trio and recover them back to safety.
With confirmation that all were recovered safely back to the beach and reunited with family members, Aberdeen Coastguard stood the Lifeboat down at 2:50pm.
Lifeboat spokesman Michael MacDonald said they were “lucky to come to rest on a sandbank”, adding: “If the wind had picked up it could have been blown them further out with the tide also on it’s way out and they could have been put in more danger.
The Lifeboat was back on station, refueled and made ready for service by 3:30pm
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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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