Buckie lifeboat rescue inspires teen paddleboarders to go extra mile for RNLI
A BRUSH with death has persuaded two local youngsters to raise cash for the RNLI.
Madison Ross (15) and Findlay Grant (16) were part of a group of four paddleboarders whose plight sparked a rescue bid in April when strong winds, gusting up to 40 knots, started carrying them out to sea.
Buckie’s RNLI lifeboat William Blannin was launched at 3.45pm on April 6 taking just 10 minutes to reach the scene, spotting the group near the Bow Fiddle Rock off Portknockie. In what had become a time critical operation, two of the paddleboarders who had managed to stay on their board were quickly spotted and rescued, followed soon after by Madison and Findlay, who were in the water.
Although very cold from their exposure to the sea, the group were all given a clean bill of health by ambulance staff on their return to Buckie.
The experience was to inspire Madison and Findlay to not only promote the RNLI’s water safety message by talking about their own brush with peril, but also show their gratitude by signing up for the maritime search and rescue charity’s Mayday Mile, which invited people to sign up and walk a mile each day during the month of May.
Thanks to their efforts they have raised in the region of £1200.
The duo completed their final mile in style when, last Friday, they set off from Strathlene to the lifeboat station where they were presented with the Mayday Mile medals. They were joined by the five-strong Buckie lifeboat crew who pulled them to safety that dramatic April day - Mike Rennie (lifeboat coxswain on the day), Graeme Gault, Kevin Herd, Jeff Tuckerman and Graham Campbell. Mr Campbell is actually a member of the Kirkwall lifeboat crew and was in Buckie covering the mechanic role.
Speaking afterwards, a proud Madison and Findlay said: “It feels really good to have completed it, we did our best to go out every day.
“it was good to give back [to the RNLI], these guys helped us and we thought it was the best way to give something back.”
The duo also looked back on the incident which, had the lifeboat not arrived when it did, could very well have cost them and their friends their lives.
They said: “We went out without lifejackets or anything; it wasn’t really the best of days, it was actually a bit silly of us to go out in the first place.
“We fell off [the paddleboards] a few times and we got swept out a look quicker than expected.
“At the start we thought we could get back easily; we tried to get back but we weren’t getting anywhere. That’s when we started freaking out.
“It was a massive relief when we saw the lifeboat.”
From taking to the water to being plucked from the jaws of death only took half an hour, showing how quickly seemingly innocuous situations can turn potentially deadly.
Mr Rennie praised the pair for their efforts and highlighted the degree of danger they were in before being rescued.
He said: “It’s very impressive what they’ve done and raising over £1000 to express their gratitude to the lifeboat crew who rescued them.
“It’s good to see them being so responsible and they’ve been active since then promoting water safety. That’s good for us and that’s good for them, as well.
“Findlay and Madison have put themselves forward after their rescue, they’ve done this and raised a lot of money. It’s good to see young folk that age doing things like that.
“The weather on the day of the rescue wasn’t great. I’d say if we’d arrived another five or 10 minutes later it would’ve been a completely different story altogether. It was probably the worst one I’ve seen in 20-odd years with the lifeboat.”
To find out more about the work of Buckie RNLI, and to become a member of the volunteer crew or fundraising branch, follow the station’s Facebook page.
