Byline: Lochinver RNLI Lifeboat launched just before 09:50 am on Sunday 12 May 2013 to an old fishing trawler broken down and adrift at the mouth of Loch Inchard, west of Kinlochbervie

Page Content: The fishing boat ”Nimrod”, which operates charters out of Kinlochbervie, was heading out to sea for a day’s angling with a party of 10 on board when the skipper noticed his oil pressure dropping and decided to stop his engine. On closer inspection he found a part in the oil filtration system had failed and he was indeed losing oil. At that point the skipper made the wise decision to alert the coastguard on emergency VHF radio channel 16 that he was experiencing difficulties and was in need of urgent assistance.

The Coastguard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Stornoway then requested the Lochinver lifeboat to launch and as the pagers went off to summon the crew from their peaceful Sunday mornings, some were only just waking, one was in the bath, others were having a leisurely breakfast and 2 were on the bridge of a fishing trawler in harbour doing their duty as Fishery Officers.

The lifeboat then launched within 5 minutes after being paged and arrived alongside the disabled “Nimrod” an hour later at 10:50 am. In the interim a smaller local fishing boat had stood by the “Nimrod”, helping to arrest her drift toward the rocks in an on shore wind, blowing from the south west at about 15 to 20 mph.

The lifeboat quickly took the “Nimrod” under tow and she was placed alongside her berth on the harbour wall inside Kinlochbervie harbour half an hour later at 11:20 am. The party of anglers, up from Aviemore, were disappointed not to have their day’s fishing but were delighted with the excitement of being rescued by the lifeboat and all expressed their sincere gratitude.

Having ensured the “Nimrod”, her skipper and all passengers were safe and secure, the lifeboat departed Kinlochbervie to return to Lochinver and was tied up alongside her own pontoon ready for service again at 01:30 pm.