Two sailors were brought ashore by volunteers after their catamaran capsized off Cruden Bay.
Crews from RNLI Peterhead, a local fishing vessel that was in the area and Northlink’s MV Hrossey ferry rallied together to save the them.
Reports of the incident came in at around 5.30pm on Saturday, July 17.
By the time crews from RNLI Peterhead made it to the scene, one casualty had already been pulled from the water by a team aboard the ferry’s fast response craft.
The other casualty was helped out of the water by the fishing boat from Cruden Bay.
Both casualties were aboard the fishing boat when RNLI’s smaller Y-boat arrived alongside it.
All those involved in the rescue have been recognised in parliament for their efforts.
Sailors had dry suits and life jackets
Luckily, neither of the rescued sailors was in need of any serious medical attention as they were wearing appropriate dry suits and life jackets.
Coxswain David Weir, who helmed the smaller Y-boat, commended the sailors for taking these precautions, which ultimately kept them alive.
He said: “The casualties had done their absolute best to right their vessel but were getting tired and needed assistance.
“They had also made the good decision to dress appropriately for the sea conditions. Despite the weather being very warm at the weekend, the sea around Scotland remains cold all year so the kit they had on kept them safe and alive.”
Once both sailors had been confirmed as safe, they returned to shore at Cruden Bay, with the fishing boat towing the upturned catamaran.
Swift actions saved casualties
Duty Coxswain, Mike Rennie, thanked the teams that came together for the rescue.
He said: “My thanks to the volunteer crew for their quick response and professionalism throughout this shout, thanks also to the staff of the MV Hrossey, NorthLink ferry for the launch of their vessel and assistance of the casualties.
“Our great thanks as well to the small fishing vessel which not only helped the casualties from the water, but also took their boat under tow into Cruden Bay.
“We’re very glad that the casualties were none the worse for wear and absolutely commend them for the choices they made in terms of their safety equipment and clothing.”
Liam Kerr, north-east MSP said: “The outcome for the two sailors may have been far worse without the swift actions of the Peterhead RNLI team as well as those on the ferry and fishing boat.
“They all showed outstanding bravery in what was a precarious situation.
“Our lifeboat crews do an extraordinary job and are on call 24 hours a day regardless of the circumstances and this should always be commended.”