Tobermory RNLI diverts from multi-agency exercise to assist yacht
Tobermory RNLI’s volunteer crew were called to assist a yacht suffering engine failure during an exercise with local coastguard members and aquaculture employees on the evening of Tuesday June 25th 2019.
For their regular Tuesday night training session, Tobermory’s volunteer crew were set to undertake an exercise with members of the Tobermory and Craignure Coastguard Rescue Teams at a local fish farm site. As the Elizabeth Fairlie Ramsey left her berth at 7.15pm, the lifeboat was contacted directly by a yacht within sight, less than 0.5 nautical miles from Tobermory to the northwest of Calve Island. The 10 metre yacht, with four persons onboard, had suffered engine failure and requested assistance from the lifeboat.
After contacting the UK Coastguard, the local coastguard members disembarked and the lifeboat made her way the short distance to the casualty vessel. Due to their proximity to Tobermory Harbour, an alongside tow was established and the yacht recovered to the pontoons with the assistance of Tobermory Coastguard.
With the yacht safely alongside, the all-weather lifeboat returned to her berth to collect the coastguard teams and fish farm employees and resumed the planned fish farm familiarisation exercise at 7.55pm.
This was the first outing for the new Helly Hansen kit that the volunteer crew had received the previous week. Onboard was Duncan MacLean, a potential new recruit who got to experience a shout first-hand on just his second acquaintance trip on the lifeboat.
Coxswain David McHaffie said: ‘The skipper of the yacht did absolutely the right thing in contacting us when the engine problem arose. This was a quick service, assisted by the local coastguard, and we were able to successfully resume the exercise as planned.’
For further information, please contact
Leanne Blair, Tobermory RNLI Volunteer Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer on 07711549609 or [email protected]
Martin Macnamara, Regional Media Officer (Scotland), 07920 365929 or [email protected]
Gemma McDonald, Regional Media Manager (Scotland), 07826 900639 or [email protected]
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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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