Paddleboarder rescued by Loch Ness Lifeboat
The volunteer RNLI crew on Loch Ness recovered the weary paddleboarder, who was then airlifted to Raigmore Hospital, Inverness.
At 8.45am, Sunday (16 September), the Loch Ness crew launched to attend a paddleboarder who had lost his board. With Force 5 conditions on Loch Ness the paddler had been sent overboard which broke his tether to the board.
Fortunately, he was recovered by two fellow paddlers who were also competing in an endurance race along the Great Glen but, by that point, he had been in the water for an estimated ten minutes. The paddlers were very well equipped and had a red LED beacon allowing them to alert the lifeboat to them, as there were dozens of other paddleboarders on the Loch which made navigation difficult.
On meeting with the three boarders, the casualty was quickly transferred onto the lifeboat where crew tried to keep him as warm as possible. The lifeboat then proceeded to Foyers campsite, where the coastguard helicopter had landed, enabling the casualty to receive medical treatment as quickly as possible. He was subsequently airlifted to Raigmore Hospital, Inverness.
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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