Kyle RNLI crew on the scene within two minutes of launch after 88m cargo vessel reported drifting towards Skye Bridge
REPORTS of an 88metre cargo vessel running aground and then drifting towards the Skye Bridge prompted an emergency call-out for two lifeboat crews.
Kyle lifeboat was called after the UK Coastguard received multiple reports of the vessel which first ran aground and then began drifting broadside in the shipping channel towards the Skye Bridge
Members of the Kyle RNLI crew were paged at 3:24pm on Friday when the coastguard declared a ‘Pan-Pan’ situation.
The radio-telephony message Pan-Pan is the international standard urgency signal that someone aboard a boat, ship, aircraft, or other vehicle uses to declare that they have a situation that is urgent, but for the time being does not pose an immediate danger to anyone's life or to the vessel itself.
The coastguard tried to contact the stricken vessel via VHF radio but on receiving no response, and due to the size of the vessel, launched both Kyle and Portree lifeboats.
Kyle lifeboat arrived on scene within two minutes of launching and found the vessel broadside under the bridge drifting towards the rocks.
The lifeboat crew tried to make contact with the crew on board the ship but could not get a response. However the cargo vessel managed to restore propulsion and make its way towards the nearby pier at the Kyleakin fish plant.
Kyle lifeboat shadowed the vessel into the pier to ensure it made it safely. Once it was alongside and secured, Portree lifeboat, which was making best speed towards the area, was stood down.
The UK Coastguard requested that Kyle lifeboat stayed on scene until local coastguard units arrived at the location.
The lifeboat stayed on scene until shortly after 6:30pm.
A Kyle spokesperson said: "When we arrived on scene the situation was serious, the vessel was no longer aground, but was floating broadside across the shipping channel and was drifting dangerously close to the bridge and nearby rocks. The vessel’s crew were not answering VHF radio calls and were not responding to the lifeboat crew's attempts to make contact with them, but luckily the vessel managed to restore propulsion and made her own way the short distance to the MOWI pier in Kyleakin."
It was the 20th call-out this year for Kyle’s volunteer crew.
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