Mayday call saves fishing boat off Kerrera
A fishing boat was spared from rocks by just ‘a matter of feet’ after a mayday alert scrambled Oban’s RNLI volunteers.
The 10-metre boat had fouled its propeller and was being driven towards rocks at the south end of Kerrera when it sent out a mayday call on the afternoon of Tuesday March 15.
CalMac’s Lord of the Isles ferry, a Coastal Connection’s RIB and another fishing boat also went to help along with Oban’s lifeboat at 12.20pm. The stricken fishing boat had put down its anchor but it failed to hold and the weather conditions were driving it ashore.
The RIB arrived at the scene first and quickly secured a tow to the vessel, bringing it clear of the shore with a matter of feet to spare. The Oban lifeboat arrived just as the RIB had brought the fishing vessel to safety and stood by while the tow was passed to the other fishing boat on scene. Once the tow was under way safely, all other responders were stood down by UK Coastguard.
As a result of the poor conditions, Oban lifeboat escorted the tow until it was in the sheltered waters of the Sound of Kerrera.
Oban lifeboat’s coxswain Ally Cerexhe said: ‘Our thanks to the other vessels in the area who diverted to assist with this call. Had Coastal Connection’s RIB not managed to attach a line to the fishing vessel so quickly and tow it clear of the shore, this could have had a very different ending.’