RNLI Loch Ness crew battles 2-metre waves to rescue 2 kayakers stranded near Fort Augustus
Father and son kayakers who became stranded at Loch Ness amid two-metre high waves were rescued by the RNLI.
The Loch Ness lifeboat was scrambled at 2.21pm on Wednesday after a nearby cruise boat spotted the two kayakers waving their arms on the shore near Fort Augustus and raised the alarm with the coastguard
The RNLI Loch Ness lifeboat quickly made its way to the scene to locate the kayakers, with the assistance of Coastguard Rescue 151 and vessels Spirit of Loch Ness and Ros Crana.
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The volunteer crew faced one-and-a-half to two-metre waves during the 30-minute journey, with maximum speeds of 18-20 knots.
Due to the strong winds and large waves, both kayaks had drifted to shore, with one of the casualties entering the water. The inaccessible location of the kayakers required two members of the volunteer crew to swim to shore to assess the pair before a challenging rescue which involved the father and son and their kayaks being pulled towards the lifeboat with safety lines before being safely transferred to the lifeboat.
The two were cold but did not require any immediate medical treatment. Once back in Fort Augustus, the casualties were met by the Coastguard shore crew who provided casualty care until the ambulance arrived to assess for signs of hypothermia.
Kieron Tarling, volunteer helm at Loch Ness RNLI Lifeboat Station, said: “This was a challenging shout due to the strength of the wind and wave height. Extracting casualties from a part of the loch that is inaccessible by road or paths meant we had to think outside the box to avoid the casualties entering the six-degree water and potentially suffering the effects of hypothermia.
“Fortunately, the casualties did the right thing by changing into dry clothes whilst waiting to be rescued. The tide can change very quickly, especially in strong winds, and we’re glad that the kayakers made it safely to shore before we reached the scene.
“In the end, all of our training paid off and the crew performed perfectly as a team to ensure a happy outcome. Our thanks must go to the crews of Spirit of Loch Ness and Ros Crana who provided guidance on locating the casualties and stood by with additional support, as well as Coastguard Rescue 151 for their assistance and guidance on scene.”
