Four escape injury in yachts rescue drama

Published on 23/07/2012 01:06

Four sea-goers “amazingly” escaped without being hurt after a harbour mooring broke free in bad weather and their yachts started heading towards the shore.

A mayday alert went out at around 2:15am yesterday, when the boats got into difficulty at Castlebay harbour, on Barra in the Western Isles.

Carol Collins, watch manager at Stornoway Coastguard, said: “They were dragging a mooring and were heading straight for the shore. They needed assistance very quickly.”

The yachts involved were a Norwegian boat carrying two men and a UK boat with a husband and wife team on board.

The lifeboat and Coastguard teams from Barra were called. A coastguard helicopter from Stornoway was also scrambled.

The lifeboat gathered up the yachts, still containing their crews, and towed them both to safety.

Ms Collins said: “Amazingly, there were no injuries and no-one needed medical attention.”