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Fraserburgh RNLI Respond to Injured Male Trapped on Rocks at Slains Castle
Fraserburgh RNLI lifeboat volunteer crew were paged at 1.16pm Saturday 1 August 2026 by the UK Coastguard after an initial report that an injured male was trapped on the rocks next to Slains Castle.
Coxswain Gubby Duncan, Mechanic Chay Cumming, and volunteers Graeme Duthie, Jason Flett, Scott Leye, Grant Morrison, Declan Sutherland, responded immediately and were soon leaving Fraserburgh aboard the Tamar class ALB John Buchanan Barr and heading south at best speed.
Enough Fraserburgh RNLI volunteers turned up to crew another boat.
Arriving near the site Fraserburgh Lifeboat joined with Coastguard Rescue Teams from Cruden Bay, Peterhead and Macduff, Police Scotland North East and the Scottish Ambulance Service in what has been termed a 'challenging incident.'
Jason Flett and Grant Morrison were deployed in the Y Boat and were able to help the injured casualty who was wet and cold and provided him with blankets to keep warm.
Two Coastguard Rope Rescue Technicians descended the cliff with an additional Coastguard Rescue Officer and a SORT paramedic to assess and stabilise the casualty.
With the tide coming in they were able to move the casualty to higher ground aboard the Y Boat and were ready if needed to transfer him to the Fraserburgh Lifeboat
Once ready for extraction, Coastguard Rescue Helicopter R851 from Inverness winched the casualty to a waiting ambulance, and Fraserburgh Lifeboat was asked to remain on scene as a precautionary measure until all rescue personnel were clear of the cliffs.
Fraserburgh Lifeboat returned to station at 5.42pm and was washed down, refuelled and made ready for next service.
If you find yourself in difficulty at the coast, or see anyone in trouble, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard
RNLI Media Contacts
For further information, please contact:
Billy Watson, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI Scotland, [email protected]
Richard Smith, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]
Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]
RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, TikTok 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.