Yacht aground at Insh Island assisted by Oban lifeboat
Shortly after 10:30am this morning (Sunday 8th May) Stornoway Coastguard received a request for assistance from the skipper of a yacht which had gone aground on rocks to the north of Insh Island.
Upon arrival, it was clear that the yacht was not going to refloat before the next high tide. A local RIB had taken the two crew off the yacht off prior to the arrival of the lifeboat, and as there was nothing else to be done at the time the RIB took them to Croabh. The lifeboat then returned to Oban with the intention of returning later in the day to assist in the refloating of the yacht and to ensure the safety of all involved.
Later in the day the skipper of the yacht joined the lifeboat crew at Oban Lifeboat Station and departed with them at around 4:45pm. By the time the lifeboat arrived back at Insh Island at 5:15pm the yacht was beginning to rise on the tide. Part of the equipment carried onboard Oban Lifeboat is an inflatable tender known as an XP boat.
The XP boat was used to transport the skipper back to the yacht with one member of the lifeboat crew who remained to assist. A tow line was attached to the yacht which was successfully helped from the rocks. After checking for any water ingress the skipper of the yacht was happy to proceed back to Croabh unassisted. Oban Lifeboat then departed the scene and arrived back in Oban at 7pm, almost nine hours after the original call for assistance was received.
RNLI media contacts
Iain Fulton, Oban Lifeboat Press Officer on 01631 710001 or 07855 555539
Email: [email protected]
Richard Smith, RNLI Public Relations Manager for Scotland, 07786 668903.
Email: [email protected]
www.obanlifeboat.co.uk
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