Lifeboat assists two men stuck on Damsay

The Kirkwall lifeboat was launched yesterday to assist two men trapped on Damsay after their boat was swamped in rough seas.

After a member of the public reported seeing two men, in a swamped boat, struggling to make way in heavy seas in the Bay of Firth, Shetland Coastguard contacted the lifeboat, which launched at 4.09pm.

At 4.20pm, the lifeboat arrived in the Bay of Firth to find the men were ashore on Damsay and had pulled their dory above the high water mark. The wind was blowing a severe gale force of 45 knots.

The  crew launched the inflatable Y boat and had transferred the men from the shore to the lifeboat by 4.30pm.