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 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 over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, 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 142,700 lives.
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