RNLI Invergordon lifeboat responds to HM Coastguard call-out request after car enters Cromarty Firth at Cromarty and floats away before sinking; nobody hurt
A CAR floated away and sank in the Cromarty Firth on Monday after it entered the water via a slipway in Cromarty.
It is understood that nobody was hurt.
The RNLI’s Invergordon lifeboat was scrambled to the scene on Monday morning after Aberdeen’s HM Coastguard base called for assistance at the scene.
The car entered the water at a slipway at around 10.25am. The RNLI crew arrived on the scene at around 10.43am, just 10 minutes after being contacted by the Coastguard.
Liaising with members of the public and a local Coastguard team on shore, the crew then searched the area where the car was last seen for any signs of debris and possible pollution.
Given the timescale, wind and tide conditions, the crew also searched slightly further out than the estimated 50 metres offshore to ensure no visible signs of debris and pollution. Using Echo Sound sonar the crew were able to make out an object at a depth of 15 metres. With the co-ordinates passed to local authorities the crew returned to base.
Invergordon RNLI lifeboat spokesperson Michael MacDonald said: “After such an unfortunate accident, it was reassuring to confirm that no persons were in the vehicle at the time.”
The lifeboat was refuelled and made ready for service by 12.30pm.