Fisherman attributes survival to lifejacket

A fisherman who was rescued by the Kirkwall Lifeboat yesterday afternoon, after his boat capsized, has claimed that his life was saved by a lifejacket.

The man was working creels off Mull Head, when a sudden swell capsized his vessel, Charisa, a Shetland Coastguard spokeswoman said.

The man made it onto rocks nearby, and was spotted by a member of the public, who alerted the coastguard, just before 4pm. The fisherman’s boat later sank in deep water, according to the coastguard.

Lifeboat crew members used a rubber dinghy to rescue the man from the rocks and he was transferred to Balfour Hospital for checks.

The coastguard spokeswoman added: “The man had been in the water for about five minutes and he was wearing a life jacket. He says that’s what saved his life.

“Lifejackets are useless unless worn, and it is a good example of how wearing a lifejacket can save someone’s life.”