Sailors in Clyde rescue
Eric Baxter and Susan Lochrie • Published 11 Jul 2011 12:00
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EMERGENCIES: One yacht was towed to Victoria Harbour after being stuck off Port Glasgow.
FOUR boats ran aground and their crew had to be rescued as hundreds of people took to the water to join in the Tall Ship festivities.
Coastguards patrolling the Clyde were first called to rescue a 64-year-old man stuck in the sandbanks close to Port Glasgow on the first day of the event.
He called 999 from his 25-foot yacht at 10.20am on Saturday morning to raise the alarm and was taken to Victoria Harbour for treatment for a medical condition.
A few hours later they were back in action as a 68-year-old man and 52-year-old woman were reported to be in the same situation, also on the sandbanks at Port Glasgow.
In an almost mirror image of the earlier incident, at 2.30pm the 24-foot yacht had also ran aground in the sandbanks.
The saillors were quickly back in the water and required no treatment.
Coastguards were at the ready in the stretch of the Clyde off Greenock and Port Glasgow to control the increased traffic on the water due to the Tall Ships.
Coastguard David Eaking said: "It is a case of too many boats and not enough water."
With the Tall Ships continuing today and tomorrow, the Clyde Coastguards sent out a message to warn those on the water to be careful. Coastguard officer Eaking added: "We have seen an increased volume of leisure craft. We would warn everyone to be be careful and have their life jackets and charts so that they don't get into difficulties."
Two small boats also grounded on a sand bank in the Clyde yesterday afternoon.
They landed on sand around the upturned sugar boat Captayannis, both getting stuck just after 2.30pm.
The boats were the Wee Spark and Singara, an eight-metre single-masted yacht.
No one was injured and they were both pulled off by the Coastguard boat The Hawk around an hour after grounding.
This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 11 Jul 11
Have your say. Post a comment on this article.
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Tiddles
1077 posts
Jul 11, 12:33
Report comment -
InchgreenShore
76 posts
Jul 11, 16:18
Report commentAye! Tiddles , when entering strange area's try to get there on rising water , so that you can see where you might end up , still nae'body got droo'nt , so that's O.K.
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Yes 3
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Tiddles
1077 posts
Jul 11, 17:13
Report commentI'd be sending the them a bill for all the actions the emergency services had to take.
Recommend? Yes 3
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InchgreenShore
76 posts
Jul 11, 21:22
Report commentAw! Tiddles , the bill ? I once tried Pelican Stew south of the Equator ,tasted alright but the bill was enormous .
Recommend? Yes 6
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G-Mac
1 post
Jul 12, 00:46
Report commentJust goes to show the importance of maintaining our Coastguard Service !
Recommend? Yes 6
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fairweather84
2 posts
Jul 13, 21:37
Report commentthey went aground near a ship already aground on its side.... that should have been their first clue
Recommend? Yes 1
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