An elderly fisherman sparked a large Lochaber rescue operation this morning when his boat experienced engine failure.
The 70-year-old man, said to be on holiday from York, left Ardtoe harbour in his 8ft boat at around 6am this morning.
When he failed to return to the town later on, local fisherman alerted the coastguard.
The Stornoway Coastguard rescue helicopter, coastguard rescue teams from Salen and Mallaig and the Mallaig lifeboat were all deployed following the report.
A coastguard spokesman said: “It was local fisherman that saw him go out this morning, he goes on holiday to Ardtoe and he was out fishing. He’d gone this morning and nobody had since seen him.”
He was found drifting half a mile off shore near Ardnamurchan by passing fishing vessel, The Dolphin, at around 12.50pm.
The spokesman added: “His engine broke down and he was drifting in the water.”
He was said to be “safe and well” following the incident.
