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Scotland & NI 128/01

COASTGUARD ASSISTS YACHTSMAN IN GALE FORCE WINDS

Shetland Coastguard assisted a lone yachtsman who needed help in gale force weather at around 1.30 pm on 31 March 2001.

The Deerness Coastguard Rescue Team, who reported in to Shetland Coastguard, spotted the yachtsman in difficulty off Tankerness. The Coastguard could not contact the vessel by radio so requested Kirkwall Lifeboat to launch and the yacht, 'Corpelleen', and its skipper were soon found sheltering from the weather with tangled sails. 

Shetland Coastguard MRSC
Shetland Coastguard MRSC
The man accepted the lifeboat crew's offer of assistance as he had become exhausted in the gale force 8-9 weather. 'Corpelleen' and its skipper were taken under tow by the Kirkwall Lifeboat arriving back into Kirkwall at around 5.00 pm.

Sandy Wylie, Watch Manager said, "We have had some quite severe weather in the area today with a very strong sea swell as well as the gale force winds. We have even heard that a container was blown off a pier, travelled across the harbour and was grounded at Bressay. Initially we were concerned about dangers to shipping and what it contained, but the container was found to be empty."