Leverburgh RNLI assist broken-down fishing vessel in challenging conditions

The 5.7m vessel, which had suffered engine failure, had 1 person on board.

On arrival at the scene, a tow was established, and the casualty vessel was taken to the safety of Lochmaddy Marina.

The thick, dense fog, which had descended on Harris and Uist yesterday morning, presented Leverburgh’s volunteer crew with some particularly challenging conditions during this rescue. The Berneray-Harris ferry and the St Kilda passenger boats were all cancelled due to the very poor visibility.

This is the 3^rd shout for Leverburgh RNLI’s new Shannon Class Lifeboat, which arrived went on service on 2^nd May 2018.

The Lifeboat and her crew were back at the station, re-fuelled and ready for service again by 1115 hours. Following their attendance at the shout, the crew joined their fellow crew members at the station car wash, which went on to raise over £1000. The crew would like to thank everyone who came along and gave so generously throughout the day.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.

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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.