Two rescued from River Forth

kinghorn Lifeboat Stationkinghorn Lifeboat Station
kinghorn Lifeboat Station
Dinghy and kayak in difficulty

Kinghorn RNLI lifeboat’s volunteer crew have rescued two people in the Forth.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They responded to an emergency call-out on Friday evening after a call to the coastguard from a person on a small sailing dinghy.

The volunteer crew launched around 5:30pm after a report there was a problem with the mast.

A Forth Ports pilot boat also assisted by marking the position of the vessel until the arrival of the lifeboat. The casualty was located approximately 2.5 miles south of Pettycur.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mike Chalmer, helmsman, said: “We quickly located the two casualties with the help of the pilot boat.

"The two were much further offshore than they thought and were found to the south of the main shipping channel with a strong northerly wind blowing them southwards.

‘We got the person out of the dinghy and decided to tow it back to Pettycur where they had set off from earlier.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"On arrival, a kayaker was also found to be present and had been accompanying the person in the dinghy. The kayaker then capsized and required to be rescued.

‘Once both casualties were safely onboard, the dinghy then capsized as it did not have a keel.

"The two watercraft and casualties were taken back to Pettycur where Kinghorn Coastguard Rescue Team assisted with getting the two men safely ashore. Both casualties were cold but uninjured.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

> If you see anyone in trouble on the coast call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. UK Coastguard has a multitude of resources they can call on, including RNLI lifeboats.

Thank you for reading this story on our website. In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspapers - the Fife Free Press, Fife Herald, St Andrews Citizen and East Fife Mail.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the highest standards in the world. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers and consequently the advertising that we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news by buying a copy of our newspaper. Thank you

Allan Crow, Editor, Fife Free Press