Busy night for RNLI with two call-outs near Inverness

Volunteers with RNLI Kessock Lifeboat had a busy night after being drafted in to help with searches near Inverness.

Volunteers with the RNLI Kessock Lifeboat were called out twice last nigh to assist with searches near Inverness.

The crew was called to look for a casualty between Avoch Harbour and Fortrose and to search for a high-risk missing person in the Inverness side of the Forth last night.

Volunteers were first paged at 8.05pm and launched soon after to conduct a shoreline search for a casualty between Avoch Harbour and Fortrose to assist Police Scotland.

A helicopter rescue and coastguard teams from Inverness, Nairn and Cromarty were also called on to help.

Volunteers with the RNLI Kessock Lifeboat were called out twice last nigh to assist with searches near Inverness.

A spokesman for RNLI Kessock said: “After a thorough search, we were stood down at approx. 10.30pm once the casualty was safely in the hands of the services onshore. The boat and crew returned to the station to be made ready for service and for the crew to warm up.”

The volunteers were then called on again to help with a separate search at 11pm.

The spokesman continued: “No sooner were we refuelled than we were tasked again at 11pm to a separate incident: a high risk missing person on the Inverness side of the Firth. Two of the previous crew (the Helm and a casualty carer) returned to the boat with two standby crew taking positions and were on scene within minutes to conduct a search from Clachnaharry sea lock back towards the bridge.

"Conditions were clear but freezing. The casualty was located on shore by police and the coastguard teams and the boat returned to the station once more. By 12.30am we were washed down, refuelled and available for the next service.”

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