RNLI Loch Ness complete first shout from new station

The yacht with two persons on board had suffered engine failure not far from Urquhart Castle on Tuesday afternoon. A strong wind was blowing up waves on the loch and causing the yacht to drift helplessly. The volunteer lifeboat crew launched aboard their new Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Sheila and Dennis Tongue IV and were soon with the casualty where they attached a tow line and escorted the yacht and its occupants to the safety of Urquhart Bay Harbour.

Happily it was a good outcome and a successful first mission for the newly commissioned lifeboat Sheila & Dennis Tongue IV. The volunteers at Loch Ness have been training especially hard since the beginning of the year to become familiar with the operations of the new lifeboat and its launch and recovery system.

An RNLI spokesperson said: "The crew of the yacht did the right thing in asking for assistance. The RNLI encourages anybody involved in yacht sailing to ensure that they always carry a means of calling for help and that everybody on board knows how to use it."

RNLI media contacts

Gemma McDonald, RNLI Regional Media Officer for Scotland, 01738 642956, 07826 900639, [email protected]

Henry Weaver, RNLI Regional Media Manager for Scotland, 01738 642986, 07771 943026, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789

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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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

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