Stromness RNLI Volunteer Crew to the aid of Scallop Divers

At around 14;00 on Friday 26 February the volunteer crew of Stromness lifeboat launched to the assistance of a local scallop boat having engine trouble just outside Stromness harbour, between the Holms and the small island of Graemsay. The tide runs strongly through this area as it is part of the narrow funnel of Hoy Sound between Graemsay and Orkney Mainland. The danger was the divers could have been carried some distance from the boat before being recovered. In the event the skipper managed to get the boat going again and soon had the divers out of the water. The lifeboat escorted them back to Stromness harbour.

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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 142,700 lives.

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