7 days ago
Kayaker helicoptered to safety after getting into trouble off most southern point of Scotland
Lifeboat, coastguard crews and a Stena Line ship responded to the kayaker's mayday call.
A kayaker had to be helicoptered to safety after getting into trouble off the Mull of Galloway.
Lifeboat and coastguard crews, as well as a Stena Line ship, were involved in the operation after the kayaker issued a mayday call at around 1.30pm on Saturday afternoon.
The combined efforts saw the person winched into the Coastguard's Rescue 199 helicopter and taken to Whitehaven Hospital.
Lifeboat teams from Stranraer and Girvan, along with Coastguard teams from Portpatrick, Ballantrae, Girvan and Stranraer, were involved in the search for the kayaker, along with the Coastguard helicopter and the Stena Hibernia which had been on its way to Belfast.
The helicopter found and winched them on board and flew them to West Cumberland Hospital, where Whitehave Coastguard had prepared the landing site. Stranraer Lifeboat team recovered the kayak and handed it to the Drummore Coastguard team.
An RNLI spokesperson said: 'This was a fast-moving and potentially life-threatening situation. Thanks to the swift response and coordination between multiple RNLI, HM Coastguard rescue teams, the Coastguard helicopter, and the crew of the Stena Hibernia, the casualty was located and brought to safety quickly.'
The incident was one of three call outs for the Stranraer Lifeboat and the Coastguard crews that day.
Just after 3pm, the lifeboat was launched to two a broken down vessel in Wig Bay in Loch Ryan to safety.
And just before 10pm the crew was back out to help the crew of cabin cruiser which had washed ashore at Port Logan.
The boat couldn't be towed but the three crew members – one of whom was in the water – were taken to safety
