ON SUNDAY MORNING, November 18, the 50ft Thames lifeboat stationed at Islay and the 52ft Barnett lifeboat stationed at Barra Island were capsized while going to the help of a 299 ton Danish coaster whose cargo of marble chips had shifted.

The two lifeboats launched soon after midnight in storm force 10 winds and very heavy seas. At 0145 Islay lifeboat was capsized. She righted immediately, but one of her enginesfailed to regain full power and she returned to station. The fault was rectified and the lifeboat was available again for restricted service. The radar had been damaged but both radios worked well. One crew member suffered a broken ankle and the assistant mechanic minor bruising. The crew have expressed praise for the performance of their boat.

Barra lifeboat was capsized at 0345.

The lifeboat, built in 1957 and later fitted with a righting air bag, righted immediately but, her propellers being fouled by ropes, the engines could not be re-started. Four crew members who suffered minor injuries were lifted off by helicopter at about mid-day. The coaster Sapphire was standing by and in hazardous conditions managed to pass a tow to the lifeboat at about 1130.

The tow parted on several occasions and was finally handed over to the local fishing vessel Notre Dame for the last part of the passage back to station. The lifeboat, with her four remaining crew members, arrived at Barra at 1540, after nearly 16 hours at sea.

The casualty, which had refused help from a helicopter, returned to Barra under escort of another Danish coaster just after 1100..