Two paddleboarders who drifted out to sea off the coast of Jura had to be rescued by HM Coastguard and Islay RNLI.
Islay Lifeboat Station’s Severn class all-weather lifeboat The Helmut Schroder of Dunlossit II was launched at 2.10pm on Tuesday at the request of the Coastguard, following a 999 call reporting a paddleboarder in difficulty in strong offshore winds.
With five volunteer crew on board, the lifeboat made good speed around the south coast of Jura to reach the scene. It was discovered that two paddleboarders had drifted but both had been able to get ashore to the small island of Eilean Bhride, off Corran Sands beach.
A Coastguard search and rescue helicopter was tasked to assist and quickly arrived at the scene, where the local onshore Coastguard team directed it to the paddleboarders’ location.
Both were then airlifted to safety on Jura’s shore, with Islay RNLI recovering their paddleboards before returning to Port Askaig, with the boat ready for service by 3.40pm.
Islay RNLI coxswain David MacLellan said: “The crew wish to thank all those involved in the rescue, and we are glad that in this case all ended well.
“This incident serves as a reminder to those enjoying the water this season to check local sea conditions, weather and tide times before taking to the sea.
“No one expects to end up in trouble. Remember conditions can change quickly here on the west coast.”
For those planning to paddleboard or enjoy other water sports, the RNLI has some handy tips to follow:
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