Three men, including a death crash driver and a former drug dealer who lost both legs to heroin, sparked a major rescue operation when their speedboat smashed onto rocks.
Steven Duthie, disabled David Strachan and his father Jake had to be plucked to safety by lifeboat crews after their vessel came to grief off the coast of Sandhaven, near Fraserburgh.
The trio had been on a late night coastal excursion when they accidentally ran aground and began taking in water.
Emergency services were scrambled to the scene, along with a Sea King rescue helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth.
David Strachan, who had both legs amputated 14 years ago, was helped onto rocks by his father, while Mr Duthie stayed onboard and desperately tried to re-float the vessel.
Two crewmen from Fraserburgh’s RNLI team used a small inflatable craft to reach the stricken speedboat, negotiating a minefield of hidden rocks and lobster creels.
During the operation, Mr Strachan jun was seen lying on the rocks smoking a cigarette.
The lifeboat team – Shane Richardson and John May – managed to help Mr Duthie off the boat, before going to the aid of the pair on the rocks.
The three men were taken onto the Broch lifeboat, Willie and May Gall, which was waiting nearby, and brought back to Fraserburgh.
Once back at the lifeboat station, all three were interviewed by waiting police officers.
Fisherman Mr Duthie, 33, who is understood to have been at the helm of the boat, was jailed in 2009 for causing the death of 22-year-old Richard Jones by dangerous driving on the Fraserburgh-Cairnbulg road.
He has also been questioned by police probing two fatal fires in Fraserburgh in 2006 and 1998.
An RNLI spokesman said last night: “The lifeboat was called out, but because there were so many rocks and nets in the water we sent out our smaller XP craft with two volunteer crewmen.
“Mr Richardson knows the waters at Sandhaven very well, so he was the ideal man for the job.”
Coastguard crews from Gardenstown and Fraserburgh were also called out.
Once the three men were safe, the RAF search and rescue helicopter was stood down.
Sandhaven resident William Runcie raised the alarm when he saw the drama unfolding outside his home around 11.30pm on Friday.
“I was about to go inside when I saw some lights on the rocks,” he said.
“I looked over and saw the boat. There was a lot of swearing and shouting and I could hear the men shouting ‘push, push’.”
“I saw one of the crew waving an LED light around.
“I went straight onto the phone and dialled 999. It wasn’t long before the whole area was filled with police and coastguard crews.”
A force spokesman said: “We were notified by a member of the public about a boat which had ran aground off Sandhaven.
“They were about 130ft offshore and we were told one of the three men was a wheelchair user.
“All three men were removed to safety and no one was injured.”
He said inquiries into the circumstances of the accident were ongoing.
The speedboat was left on the rocks overnight, but was removed on Saturday evening.
None of the three crewmen could be reached for comment last night.
In 2009, David Strachan was jailed for six months when police discovered £20,000 worth of drugs under the floorboards of his Fraserburgh home.
Mr Strachan, 37, had both his legs amputated in June 2000, after intravenously injecting heroin.
He spent time in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in a critical condition before having his legs removed.