Oban lifeboat called to pleasure craft off Luing
The crew of Oban Lifeboat is appealing to the owners of holiday rentals who provide boats for their guests to make sure they are properly equipped and for people unfamiliar with the waters to be given safety guidance.
Yesterday evening (Thursday) the volunteer crew of Oban Lifeboat were tasked by Stornoway coastguard to go to a small boat with two people onboard that was caught in a whirlpool near Cullipool.
By the time the lifeboat had arrived on scene, the casualty vessel had managed to escape the whirlpool and found some shelter in Poll Gorm south of Cullipool.
The decision was taken to transfer one of the exhausted and wet people on board across to the lifeboat before an alongside tow was set up so the boat could be taken out of Poll Gorm, through the Cuan Sound back to their starting point in Seil Sound.
The tow to safety ended a nightmare experience for the two holidaymakers who had been given the use of the small boat with the cottage they had rented and had decided to take a day trip.
They had passed through the Cuan Sound on extremely fast tides and had visited Easdale for lunch. After lunch they were unable to re-enter the Cuan Sound due to the tides and decided to take the long route south around the Isle of Luing. At one stage, the boat ran aground and one of the pair had gone into the water to help push it off.
As they approached the Sound of Luing they got caught in the tide there and were unable to make further progress or reverse their route.
Low on fuel for their small outboard engine, they use a mobile phone to ask for help as the vessel had no VHF radio.
Deputy Coxswain Andy Lockwood says the couple on board had been in real danger.
“The people on board did the right thing by calling 999 and asking for the Coastguard.
“The vessel was not properly equipped with no radio, buoyancy aids rather than lifejackets and a laminated chart and the visitors did not have the local knowledge to cope with these dangerous waters and big tides.
“We would ask that holiday cottage owners who want to make a boat available to their guests to seek advice from our water safety team or the Coastguard, and not to allow people to take to the sea if they do not have the skills and equipment.”
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