Water coincidence
FAMILY ties were reinforced when Tobermory RNLI transported retained firefighters to Calve Island to tackle a serious fire.
TOBERMORY RNLI’s volunteer crew transported retained firefighters to Calve Island to tackle a serious fire, one of whom was the great-grandson of Tobermory lifeboat’s first coxswain.
Tobermory lifeboat Elizabeth Fairlie Ramsay launched at 6.25pm last Monday (May 8) for firefighters to tackle the large grass fire on the island in Tobermory Bay.
Nine firefighters were transferred to the island, including Tobermory watch manager Iain ‘Phooey’ Noble whose great-grandfather, Alexander Noble, was the first coxswain of the Tobermory lifeboat, serving between 1938 and 1947.
The fire crew successfully put out the grass fire and returned to Tobermory where the lifeboat was refuelled and made ready for service at 8.41pm.
Tobermory coxswain David McHaffie said: ‘We were alerted to the fire during a lifeboat meeting at the station where, ironically, we were just in the middle of a discussion about working with other agencies.
‘ We’re pleased that we were able to play a small part in helping our colleagues from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service get the fire under control and put it out so quickly.
‘And we were all particularly pleased to give Mr Noble a lift on the lifeboat given his family connection to our first ever coxswain.’
Oban RNLI lifeboat was also in action last week after being called out on Thursday to assist with a double medical transfer from the Isle of Mull.
The vessel launched at 7.30pm to assist the Scottish Ambulance Service with the medical transfer of two patients from Mull and Iona Community Hospital.
The Mora Edith MacDonald departed Oban with two paramedics on board, arriving at Craignure by 8.10pm.
Following the transfer of both patients to the lifeboat, the volunteer crew departed Mull for Oban, arriving back where casualties were transferred to a waiting ambulance by 9.03pm.
Oban lifeboat then returned to station where she was refuelled and made ready for service again by 9.20pm.