Loch Ness RNLI volunteers in rescue on the A82

The Loch Ness lifeboat received a request to launch by the Coastguard at 7.28pm on Thursday evening. The volunteer crew, already at the boathouse for their regular training session, were quick to launch and made their way to Invermoriston in their Atlantic 75 B-class lifeboat the Colin James Daniel.

Upon reaching the jetty at the river mouth the RNLI volunteers proceeded upstream half a mile with their equipment to reach the casualty, who had come off his motorcycle and landed in the gorge. Paramedics and emergency crew were already in attendance and with everybody working together the stretcher was passed up out of the gorge between two lines of people and the casualty was airlifted to Raigmore Hospital.

RNLI Helmsman Garry MacLeod and crew Neil Stebbings and Sandra Delday returned to base at 10pm. 'It was a great relief to get the casualty safely onto the air ambulance' said Sandra, 'and everybody from all the agencies involved tonight worked so well and so effectively together'.

RNLI Media Contacts: Maeve Ryan, volunteer lifeboat press officer at Loch Ness, 07724 123248.

Key facts about the RNLI

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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