Buckie lifeboat crew brave 'horrendous' weather to rescue adrift yacht crew
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BUCKIE's RNLI lifeboat sped to the rescue of a family aboard their yacht, reported "adrift and leaking in horrendous weather".
The alarm was raised at 8.30pm on Sunday, July 16, and coxswain Davie Grant put to sea with a crew of seven volunteers a few minutes later to reach the vessel, which was four miles north of Portknockie.
With children on board and reports that the yacht was taking on water, unable to make headway under sail or to start her engine, the William Blannin and her volunteer crew made best possible speed despite the atrocious conditions.
Coxswain Grant says: "We were thankful for our seat harnesses and air-sprung safety-seats for sure, but the 42 tonne Severn class is designed for the worst conditions and she served us well."
Initial attempts to put casualty care crew aboard the yacht were thwarted by the heavy weather, which was tossing the yacht around like a toy. Shouted communication with the skipper also revealed that the leak was in the fuel system, not the hull, so concern the yacht was at immediate risk of sinking diminished.
The airlocked fuel system meant the engine could not be started, so the yacht was helpless in the appalling conditions. On the plus side, the yacht and her crew were all well equipped.
With four of the five yacht crew suffering acutely from seasickness, getting the casualty care crew on board was still a priority, but this could only be done in calmer water. A line was passed and a tow commenced to Cullen Bay, where the land offered some shelter from the strong westerly wind and breaking waves.
A casualty care crewmember transferred to the yacht and reported the family cold, wet, exhausted and demoralised: he made them as comfortable as possible and offered reassurance for the towed passage to Buckie.
Towing into the teeth of the rising gale and a confused sea, the yacht again began to pitch and roll violently at anything above snail’s-pace. With the yacht skipper on the helm wrestling to keep the yacht in line astern of the lifeboat, the combination could manage only three to four knots on the tow back to Buckie.
On arrival around 12.30am – four hours after departure – the yacht was brought into the safety of Buckie Harbour. Her crew were welcomed into the lifeboat station to dry out and warm up, helped by warm drinks and hot food. Meanwhile the crew worked on to wash down and refuel the lifeboat in case another shout came in.
Coxswain Grant said: "As we approached him, the yacht skipper radioed the Coastguard to ask how long before the lifeboat was likely to arrive.
"He told me afterwards that the reply of ‘Three minutes’ was about the best news he had heard in his entire life.
"This was a challenging service for our own crew for many reasons. The conditions for working on deck were as difficult on the lifeboat as they were on the yacht, but our crew stayed focused on their task. Kris, our casualty care specialist on the night, deserves special recognition.
"His skill in not just caring for the family on the yacht, but in reassuring them despite the horrendous conditions, was a tribute not only to his RNLI training but also to his personal qualities. We are fortunate to have him."
Anne Scott, lifeboat operations manager at Buckie Lifeboat Station, said this rescue showed the unique capability of the RNLI. ‘
She added: "This family and their yacht had been rendered helpless in the face of the conditions that confronted them.
"A helicopter could have rescued the crew if they had come in imminent danger of going aground, but only the lifeboat could have intervened sooner, as we did, to rescue both the crew and their yacht. Buckie’s volunteer crew gave valuable service to this family, and our community has cause to be proud of them."
