Kayaker swept out to sea rescued after spotting Loganair flight landing at Barra

A kayaker swept out to sea off the Outer Hebrides was rescued after he spotted a Loganair passenger plane coming in to land at Barra.

The man was disorientated and distressed after being blown out into open water.

But in an emergency call to the coastguard, he was able to give a clue to his location by telling them he had seen a Loganair flight approaching Barra’s beach airstrip a short time earlier.

The aircraft’s pilots returned to the air and retraced their flight path.

After finding the kayaker, the crew passed on the co-ordinates to the emergency services and circled the location until Barra lifeboat arrived.

Loganair boss Jonathan Hinkles has praised the actions of the crew in the incident on July 8.

He said: “Folks often say that Loganair’s services are lifelines, and lifeline can be a much-used term, but in this case, I think it’s warranted.

“A big thank you to our pilots and to all those involved for a great display of teamwork.”

A spokesperson for the islands’ coastguard added: “Fantastic work Loganair – anything that reduces search time is a big step towards a life saved.”