
Oban RNLI launch to reports of upturned dinghy and persons in water
Oban RNLI Lifeboat launched for the second time on Saturday 15 July at 7:25pm at the request of Stornoway Coastguard, who had received reports from a yacht that they had sighted an upturned dinghy with persons in the water near the Island of Lismore.
As the volunteer crew of the All weather Trent Class Lifeboat made best speed to Lismore, the passing yacht that had reported the incident had deployed their inflatable dinghy and had recovered one person from the sea and three others from nearby rocks. At this point the Glensanda workboat the Lady Heather arrived on scene. She went alongside the yacht and transferred a crew member, who happens to be a volunteer with Oban RNLI and trained in casualty care, and was therefore able to begin assessing the condition of the casualties. At this point they were transferred from the yacht to the larger Lady Heather for further evaluation.
Oban Lifeboat Mora Edith MacDonald arrived on scene at 7:50pm and transferred two crew, who were also trained in casualty care, onto the Lady Heather to assist. As the casualties had been in the water for a considerable time the coxswain made the decision to transfer them to the lifeboat and to head for open water to rendezvous with the coastguard helicopter which had also been scrambled and was nearing their location.
On arrival of Rescue 199 the winchman/paramedic boarded the lifeboat and after assessing the casualties was happy for the lifeboat to make best speed to Oban where the casualties were handed over to the care of the Oban Coastguard Rescue Team and the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Coxswain David Isaac would like to extend his thanks, from all at Oban RNLI, for the assistance from the passing yacht, the crew of the Lady Heather, the crew of Rescue 199, Oban Coastguard Rescue Team and the Scottish Ambulance Service for bringing this incident to a satisfactory conclusion.
Notes to Editor
The RNLI is the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
Picture credit: RNLI/Stephen Lawson
Oban is a busy station serving one of the largest stretches of coastline in the UK, flanked by RNLI colleagues based at Tobermory, Islay and Campbeltown.
The Oban volunteer crew operate the Trent Class All Weather lifeboat Mora Edith MacDonald from our base at the South Pier on Gallanach Road, close to the CalMac ferry terminal.
Picture Caption: Library image
Photo credit: RNLI/Stephen Lawson
RNLI Media Contacts
For further information, please contact:
Stephen Lawson, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Oban RNLI on 07776 340629 or email [email protected]
John Macgill, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Oban RNLI on 07711 548672 or email [email protected]
Natasha Bennett, Regional Media Officer (Scotland), on 07826 900639 or [email protected]
Martin Macnamara, Regional Media Manager (Scotland), on 07920 365929 or [email protected]
RNLI Press Office 01202 336789 or [email protected]
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.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.