Stromness lifeboat called out to help search for people reported in the water.
The crew were paged at 2045 and the boat left Stromness harbour at 2054 to search for people reported in the water.
The lifeboat went west about Orkney mainland and headed east through Eynhallow Sound. Conditions were reasonable with a force 5-6 southeasterly wind and good visibility with rain showers.
The Kirkwall lifeboat was assisting a 32 foot sailing yacht which had got into trouble a mile southwest of Stronsay.
Just after 2200, the Kirkwall lifeboat radioed to say they were about to enter The String with the yacht in tow, and asked the Stromness lifeboat to keep close by. All missing people were accounted for.
The yacht had broken its forestay and the mast was unsupported.
As the lifeboats approached Kirkwall harbour, the Stromness lifeboat transferred two crew onto the Kirkwall lifeboat to help bring the yacht alongside and to moor the yacht in the Kirkwall Marina where they were met by a Coastguard team
At 2330 the Stromness lifeboat left Kirkwall for the trip home to Stromness, passing to the west of Orkney mainland.
The lifeboat arrived back in Stromness Harbour at 0050 and was refuelled and ready for service by 0115.
RNLI Media Contacts: David Bowdler, Stromness volunteer lifeboat press officer, 07871 583011.
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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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