Helicopters fly through gales to save fisherman

Helicopter crews flew across hundreds of miles of ocean through strong gales to help a fisherman showing signs of a heart attack.

The crewman became unwell on Wednesday night more than 200 miles west of Stornoway, Lewis, and required urgent medical attention.

Two coastguard search and rescue helicopters, from Inverness and Stornoway, travelled in gale force nine winds over rough waters to make the pick-up.

But the vessel first had to travel closer to land as it was just outside the emergency responders’ reach.

With the Inverness helicopter acting as additional support, known as top cover, Stornoway’s helicopter flew to the vessel and winched the man on board in deteriorating weather conditions.

He was flown to Benbecula and then flown to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.