Loch Ness Lifeboat volunteers called out from Highland Games
No down time for the crew as yacht gets into trouble on the Loch north of Fort Augustus.
The lifeboat crew, Neil Stebbings at Helm with Jamie Young and recent recruit Joel Keating, were minutes away from the lifeboat on Saturday and immediately made their way to the casualty which had drifted powerless quite close to the shore. Having taken the vessel safely under tow on to Fort Augustus the crew then returned to base and refuelled ready for the next shout.
On Monday lunchtime the crew pagers went off again as the lifeboat was tasked to assist a motor cruiser which had engine problems. Helmsman Garry MacLeod with Sandra Delday and David Ferguson attended the vessel which was situated near Foyers with four adults and a dog on board. The lifeboat volunteers pulled the vessel away from the shore with a stern tow and then attached an alongside tow to escort the casualty to Urquhart Bay Harbour, where they handed over to the Coastguard.
This most recent was the 24th shout for the Loch Ness Lifeboat since their first rescue this year on 6 March. One shout away from last years total it seems 2017 will continue the trend of each year getting busier than the last on Loch Ness.
Construction is well under way on the new Loch Ness lifeboat station at Urquhart Bay Harbour and a brand new lifeboat is also due to be operational for next season.
Key facts about the RNLI
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 Ireland from 238 lifeboat stations, including four along the River Thames and inland lifeboat stations at Loch Ness, Lough Derg, Enniskillen, Carrybridge and Lough Ree. Additionally the RNLI has more than 1,000 lifeguards on over 240 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.
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
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The RNLI is a charity registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SC037736). Charity number 20003326 in the Republic of Ireland