Clippers farewell, two shouts and a cat

The volunteer crew of 13-50 The Campbell-Watson had just returned alongside at the lifeboat station after the Clipper start when they were tasked by HM Coastguard to assist a yacht off Ardmucknish Bay.

The lifeboat was quickly launched again and proceeded to the scene to find the yacht, which had two people and their cat on board, aground.

As the water was at its lowest at this stage, the decision was made by the coxswain and her crew to stand off the yacht and allow the tide to rise.

In the meantime, the lifeboat launched its XEP daughter boat to transfer one person and the pet cat onto the lifeboat, leaving the skipper onboard to assist with refloating.

About an hour later, the yacht floated free without needing assistance. With no damage to the vessel, the lifeboat escorted the yacht as it made its way into Dunstaffnage Marina where the skipper was reunited with their fellow crewmember and cat.

It was the second shout in 16 hours. Shortly after 11pm last night, Oban Lifeboat launched to a medical emergency onboard a yacht at anchor in Loch Spelve on the southeast of Mull.

The crew proceeded to the yacht’s location and transferred a person who had become ill to the lifeboat before bringing them back to Oban where they were transferred into the care of a waiting ambulance crew.

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

John Macgill, 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]

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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.

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