Teenager rescues two men from inflatable boat off Isle of Skye
I have picked up this story to share simply because it is heartwarming. These days, we bash our kids for spending too much time in front of their gaming machines or whiling away endless hours on social media. But clearly this is not for 15-year-old Archie Law, who rescued two men who fell from an inflatable toy boat off the Isle of Skye in Scotland, after spotting them drifting in Broadford Bay. He took his own boat out to help and rescue them.
The incident happened when the UK coastguard received reports of two men in difficulty in the water after falling from a blow-up inflatable boat. The RNLI crew from Kyle of Lochalsh launched a lifeboat within ten minutes and headed towards the area where the men were last seen. By the time the lifeboat crew reached the location, local teenager Archie Law had already spotted the pair from shore, gone out in his own vessel and brought them safely back to land.
Law told STV News, “I went down to the shore and had my binoculars and realised they were paddling and going round in circles.
“I thought maybe I need to do something here. So, I talked to my mum, and we made the decision that it wasn’t too bad a night to go out. The tide was in and I was in my boat, so I went out to see if they needed any help.
“They had no life jackets or phones. I was pretty shocked. I didn’t believe that when I got there. They were glad to see me. They could have drowned. It could have been very serious.”
“They seemed very cold and tired and thankful I had spotted them. I got them back to the wee pier and they were met with towels and warm clothes.”
What an adventure this must have been for Archie, and seeing someone of his age who is prepared to use such initiative to pull off a rescue of this kind is a story worth sharing.
The U.S. Coast Guard offers reward for stolen navigational beacon
Have you seen this missing beacon?
Now, who on earth would steal a lighthouse beacon? A souvenir or trophy hunter, perhaps. But clearly, whoever committed this crime had no idea of the serious potential ramifications of their actions. I have reported on similar instances before, too, so this is not an isolated case!
The U.S. Coast Guard has offered a $1,000 reward for information on who stole a navigational beacon from an important lighthouse at the harbour at Superior, Wisconsin. The “reckless” removal created an extremely hazardous condition for mariners who rely on the light for navigation, the service said.
According to the Coast Guard, an unknown suspect broke into the Superior Entry Lighthouse on Wisconsin Point, a breakwater that shelters the harbour entrance at Superior Bay. The channel entrance serves laker traffic to and from Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin, where there are large-scale bulk terminals for grain and iron ore.
The structure of the lighthouse itself is privately owned, but the light belongs to the Coast Guard. It is not a traditional Fresnel lens white light – that system was retired decades ago – but rather a flashing green beacon. The suspect broke in, cut the power cable and took the beacon, the Coast Guard said in a statement. Since the light was owned by the service, the theft is a federal felony.
A new life-saving device is launched – a cool box!
And here is another account of a remarkable dice with death. This is certainly a bizarre story involving a cool box, which fortunately had a lucky ending for the person who was left clinging to it! The unnamed individual was rescued after spending more than four hours in the water, clinging to a cool box following a major multi-agency Coastguard search off the Gwynedd coast in North Wales, UK.
Both of Criccieth RNLI’s lifeboats were launched after reports of an overdue rigid inflatable boat (RIB) which had departed from Porthmadog. As volunteer crew responded, an off-duty Criccieth RNLI crew member working for Gwynedd Council’s Maritime Department reported finding the overturned vessel on a sandbank near Porthmadog. Unsurprisingly, this significantly changed the nature of the incident, with immediate concerns for the missing person.
A statement from RNLI Criccieth Lifeboat said, “Following an extensive search, the casualty was located on Harlech Beach. It is believed they had been in the water for more than four hours after the ebbing tide carried them from the estuary, while they managed to stay afloat by clinging to a cool box.
“The casualty was suffering severe effects of cold-water immersion and was taken aboard the HM Coastguard Search and Rescue Helicopter before being transferred directly to hospital for further treatment.”
What a story, and who would have thought that a humble cool box could become a lifesaver!
Long-term growth and stability are the targets for the Boat Building Academy following industry award
IIMS has a close association with the UK’s Boat Building Academy (BBA) going back several years, so I was especially interested to read this story about their recent award and future aspirations. BBA says that winning Business of the Year in British Marine’s Boatbuilders Sector Awards comes at a point when the organisation is focused on securing its long-term future rather than celebrating past achievements. The Lyme Regis-based training provider is aiming to buy the freehold of its waterfront campus after five years of operating without recurring public funding.
“We have transformed the BBA into a financially resilient and sustainable organisation operating without any recurring public funding,” said director and trustee Will Reed. “Buying our building will allow rental expenditure to be redirected into bolstering general funds and potentially direct student support.”
Since opening in 1997, the academy has trained nearly 3,000 people across boatbuilding, furniture making, and specialist short courses.
The academy is now preparing to purchase the freehold of its waterfront premises. “This will permanently secure our future and the future of boatbuilding training in the UK, and we would very much like to hear from businesses and organisations interested in helping us to fund this project,” Reed says.
Well done Will to you and all your colleagues on winning this prestigious award, and good luck for the future!
More next month.
Mike Schwarz