‘Lives on the line’ after airport fuel withdrawal

Chris Murray in action. He served with distinction as a winchman in Stornoway for many years, but is now concerned that "lives are on the line".

In 2004, Chris Murray, who still lives on Lewis, was presented with the Queen’s Gallantry Medal for bravery after a rescue mission back in 2001 in which he and the other three members of the crew saved the lives of nine fishermen out in Atlantic in stormy seas, and operating at the very limit of their capability.

The other members of the crew that night were pilot Clark Broad, co-pilot Neil Stephenson and winch operator Julian "Smiler" Grinney.

The nine fishermen were winched off the German trawler Hansa as she sank west of Benbecula in March 2001 in stormy seas. Six other crew members died.

Chris (second from left) receiving the bravery medal with the other crew members

At 200 miles out in the Atlantic, the rescue helicopter was at the very outer edges of its operating range and the crew landed back in Benbecula with just five minutes of spare fuel left in the tank.

Now Chris has expressed his “shock” at the revelations in the Gazette two weeks ago that the fuelling capacity at Benbecula airport has been withdrawn.

Loganair, who operated the facility, said it was as “a sad day” but came as a result of difficulties with supply and no cost-effective alternative available.

“I’m more than a little concerned that the fuel depot at Benbecula is either closed or is closing down,” said Mr Murray, who originally comes from Dornoch.

“It comes as a bit of a shock for many reasons but one especially is the inability to carry out long-range rescue missions from Stornoway.

"This was a critical refueling point for the coastguard helicopter on our way out into the Atlantic which over the years since the 1980s has enabled the SAR crews to save many lives and we can only hope that for this reason alone it may be kept open.”

Explaing their decision, Loganair said they had contacted all users of the “fuel farm” and after consideration of alternatives issued a formal notice to advise users it would no longer be available.

The Gazette contacted Bristow Helicopters, who run the SAR contract in the north of Scotland, to ascertain exactly what implications, as highlighted by Mr Murray, would arise from them being unable to re-fuel the rescue helicopter at Benbecula.

A company spokesman said: “Benbecula has occasionally provided a refuelling point in the past for extended operations by HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopters. The site's availability and use has been limited, however, and refuelling will continue to be carried out at Stornoway.”

Mr Murray, who retired from the service in 2010, said that if it was not possible to re-visit the Benbecula decision then alternative re-fuelling capacity needs to be built for the Stornoway SAR helicopter.

"If not Benbecula, then a proper purpose made helicopter refuelling point should be set up as soon as poossible in Broadford, Skye, and Corpach, Fort William,” he said.

"If not the lives of seafarers in distress will be on the line – that’s for certain and the reason I know this is because of the countless times in the past I have been involved in such rescues.”