Tobermory RNLI goes to the aid of stricken fishing boat hard aground off Quinish
Tobermory RNLI’s volunteer crew went to the aid of a fishing boat hard aground off Quinish Point on the west coast of Mull in their second call out in three days.
At 22:01 on the night of Monday 29 August 2022, Tobermory RNLI’s volunteer crew were alerted by the UK Coastguard that a fishing boat with three crew on board had gone aground near Quinish Point. Tobermory RNLI’s Severn class lifeboat, Elizabeth Fairlie Ramsey, was launched and made best speed to the reported position of the casualty. On arrival, the volunteer crew found that the fishing boat was on the rocks and listing at a 45 degree angle.
The crew contacted the skipper of the fishing boat who confirmed that the vessel was hard aground and not moving as a result of the good sea conditions. In light of this information and the tidal conditions, the lifeboat returned to Tobermory before heading back to the fishing boat at 05:30. With the tide rising, the volunteer crew passed a tow rope to the fishing boat and managed to pull it off. Once the fishing boat’s skipper had confirmed that there was no damage, the lifeboat returned to Tobermory where it was refuelled and made ready for service shortly before 9am.
This call out followed a ‘shout’ on Saturday afternoon when the lifeboat had been tasked to carry out a medevac of an open water swimmer who had become unwell after getting out of the sea near Glenuig. Although a doctor in the party had confirmed that he did not appear to have any medical issues, he was deemed to be too weak to undertake the three mile walk over rough ground back to the road.
After carrying out casualty care checks, the swimmer, his wife and two members of the Coastguard Rescue Team were transferred from the beach using the lifeboat’s daughter craft to the all-weather lifeboat. They were then taken to the jetty at Glenuig where the swimmer was passed into the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Station Coxswain David McHaffie said: ‘We’re really pleased that these two ‘shouts’ had a good outcome. With regards to the fishing boat, had the sea conditions not been as calm as they were, it’s likely that the fishing boat would have sustained some serious damage’.
RNLI media contacts
Dr Sam Jones, Tobermory RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager and Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, 07747601900 or [email protected]
Natasha Bennett, RNLI Regional Media Officer for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]
Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Media Manager for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]
RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789
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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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