Fife lifeboat crew recognised for saving fishermen’s lives

Volunteers from Anstruther hailed for their courage and seamanship in rough conditions

A crew that saved the lives of fishermen washed into the sea by a freak wave have been rewarded for their bravery.

Anstruther lifeboat volunteers battled extremely rough conditions in the early hours of a cold and dark winter morning to rescue the pair after they were washed off the breakwater at St Monans harbour.

They and a third angler, who raised the alarm shortly after 3am, were found in danger on the breakwater and transferred to a waiting ambulance.

The men escaped serious injury in the incident in February last year, but were said to be lucky to be alive.

RNLI trustee Sir Andrew Cubie presented station coxswain Michael Bruce and senior helmsman Barry Gourlay with a chairman’s letter of thanks which commended the crew’s “courage, determination and excellent seamanship”.

Station spokesman Martin Macnamara said: “The RNLI chairman’s award is recognition for the continued training and commitment the team at Anstruther participate in.

“On launching that night in poor weather with both lifeboats, the crew worked together to arrive on scene swiftly, manoeuvre the lifeboats into position with very little water and assist the three fishermen to safety.

“The award will take pride of place in the station and is a reminder to our volunteers of the pivotal role we play in saving lives at sea.”

Both Anstruther’s inshore and all-weather lifeboats were called into action by the coastguard on the morning of February 7 2016.

By the time the inshore lifeboat arrived on the scene, the men had managed to get themselves out of the water and were sheltering behind a raised part of the breakwater in near freezing temperatures.

Conditions were so rough, caused by the shallow water in the harbour channel, that it took the lifeboat three attempts to manoeuvre alongside the breakwater to get to them.

The lifeboat crew took the fishermen to the old boatyard slipway where an ambulance was waiting.

Picture: Andy Thompson. Anstruther lifeboat coxswain Michael Bruce, right, is presented with the chairman’s letter of thanks by Sir Andrew Cubie. Below: author and maritime historian John Aitken, Montrose lifeboat coxswain Scott Murray and chairman of Montrose Lifeboat Management Group Jim Calder with copies of the new book, RNLI Lifeboat Histories.