Local creel boat and two crew saved from the rocks by Kirkwall RNLI lifeboat
Westray creel boat with rope in prop was drifting towards the rocks at Noup Head and put out a call for assistance. Kirkwall RNLI Lifeboat responded and came to the rescue.
The RNLI Lifeboat station at Kirkwall was paged by the UK Coastguard with a tasking request at 11.46am. Lifeboat Operations Manager (LOM) Chris Irvine responded by calling for more information. Shetland Coastguards (SCG) informed him that the a creel boat had called to say her propeller was fouled with a rope and they were drifting towards the rocks at Noup Head Westray.
Chris paged 'Launch Lifeboat' and the crew quickly mustered at the station for briefing.
Coxswain Dougie Bain was informed with the details and the lifeboat with Dougie and six more volunteer crew departed station at 11:55am.
The lifeboat proceeded to the scene arriving at 1.00pm and a tow line was quickly connected.
The casualty was towed to Pierowall harbour on Westray and she was safely tied up there by 3:15pm. The creel boat crew very generously rewarded the Lifeboat crew with a bucket of Partans and Lobsters.
Kirkwall lifeboat departed Pierowall at 3:30 pm and arrived back in Kirkwall at 5:00 pm and was refueled, ready for sea again by 5:15 pm.
Coxswain Dougie Bain said 'It was quite bumpy and breezy off the Noup with a three metre swell running. The crew did a great job connecting up the tow and bringing the boat in to safety in Pierowall.'
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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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