BLUEMOMENT

Oban Lifeboat called out at height of Storm Amy

The crew of Oban Lifeboat encountered Violent Storm Force winds during an operation last night to help a yachtsman in trouble in Loch Aline on Morvern.

Oban RNLI were asked to assist Tobermory lifeboat with a yacht at the head of the loch which had dragged its anchor and whose single occupant had sustained a hand injury.

The Tobermory crew reported that they could not get in close enough to evacuate the casualty as the yacht was in waters that were too shallow for their Severn class lifeboat.

Oban’s volunteer crew launched shortly after 8.30pm, encountering very rough sea conditions in the Firth of Lorn between Oban and the Sound of Mull, with wind speeds gusting up to Violent Storm Force 11.

Once on scene they found that the gale was blowing straight up the loch causing confused sea conditions and, with local power cuts resulting in no lights ashore, it was easy to get disoriented.

The person on the yacht refused the offer to be evacuated from his vessel despite being advised that the dragging anchor would likely mean the Shannon class Oban lifeboat couldn’t take him off later when his yacht got into shallower water.

The lifeboat crew then investigated places where the yacht might be secured safely and, after being told the pontoons at Lochaline had sustained damage in the storm, inspected a free anchorage that they decided could be used.

The person on the casualty vessel agreed to being towed to safety but, after two attempts to make headway and with winds in excess of 65 knots driving the Campbell-Watson towards shore, the decision was taken to cut the tow.

The offer to evacuate the sailor from the yacht was again made and declined.

Oban lifeboat remained on scene for over an hour and, with the yacht now holding position and the winds having started to drop, the crew made their way back to Oban arriving back at 1.30am.

The images taken as the lifeboat stood off from the casualty vessel by crew members Leonie Woolf/RNLI and Andrew Scott/RNLI.