Busy Sunday for Leverburgh Lifeboat

Stornoway Coastguard requested the assistance of RNLB The Royal Thames after receiving a concerned report regarding the welfare of two kayakers in North Uist.

Two persons were seen to park their car at Lochmaddy, earlier in the day, and they then proceeded to sea in their Kayaks. The alarm was raised on Sunday evening when a member of the public noted that their car remained on the pier, despite the deterioration in weather conditions.

The volunteer crew from Leverburgh station began with a search in the area of Cheesebay, followed by a search of the Lochportain area. On the shore at Lochportain, a tent and two kayaks were located, and contact was made by the Lifeboat crew with the occupants of the tent. The two persons confirmed that they had left Lochmaddy earlier in the day, and that they were safe and well.

Leverburgh Lifeboat was stood down at 2200, and was back at Leverburgh, refuelled and ready for service again by 2345.

This was the RNLB The Royal Thames’ second shout of the day. Earlier on in the afternoon (approx. 1625), Stornoway Coastguard requested assistance after a sailor was reported to be experiencing difficulties in Ardmore bay, Dunvegan, Isle of Skye.

There was one person on board the 16ft sailing boat which had began drifting from the shore.

The Dunvegan Mobile Coastguard Unit monitored the situation from the shore, and at approx. 1730 the crew of the RNLB The Royal Thames received word that the sailor had made their own way back to shore, and were stood down.

The Lifeboat was back on station, refuelled and ready for service again by 1830.