Portree RNLI launch to aid capsized dinghy
The volunteers of Portree RNLI were called out for the second time this week today (10 July 2025) to aid a sailing dinghy that was struggling in poor weather conditions.
The pagers of the volunteer crew members sounded just before midday today, with Portree RNLI Trent class lifeboat Stanley Watson Barker launching 10 minutes later.
The launch was requested by HM Coastguard following a Digital Selective Calling (DSC) alert in the Loch Arnish area of Raasay.
A DSC alert can be used to make distress calls and allows for the automated transmission of vessel information, like its identity (MMSI) and location.
On arrival at the scene, after making best speed towards the area at 25 knots, the volunteer lifeboat crew spotted a sailing dinghy at the south end of Fladday Island. The small vessel was going round in circles and had a single occupant onboard. It had capsized multiple times, and the sailor was struggling to right the vessel due to the weather conditions.
The casualty was taken onboard the lifeboat and the coxswain decided that the best course of action was to tow the dinghy to a nearby mooring, to ensure it didn’t become a further hazard.
Stuart Nicolson, Portree RNLI lifeboat Coxswain, said:
‘Once we had established that the sailor onboard the dinghy was safe and well, I then made the decision to tow the vessel to the mooring after being requested to assess the situation by HM Coastguard. The sailor was very well equipped, including having the right means to call for help, which is vital when you are on the water. The weather conditions were challenging today, and I would like to thank the crew once again for their swift response to the pagers for the second time this week. Our volunteer crew members are always on call and ready to respond to calls for help.’
The RNLI is the charity that has been saving lives at sea for over two hundred years.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- All photos in this press release are credited to Robert MacInnes/Portree RNLI.
- Portree Lifeboat Station was established in 1991 and operates a Trent class all-weather lifeboat – ‘Stanley Watson Barker’. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/portree-lifeboat-station
RNLI media contacts
For further information, please contact:
Robert MacInnes, Lifeboat Press Officer at Portree RNLI: 07950 421829 / [email protected]
Natasha Rushby, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland: 07826 900639 / [email protected]
Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Scotland: 07920 365929 / [email protected]
RNLI Press Office: 01202 336789 or [email protected]
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.