MFV founders THE DEPUTY LAUNCHING AUTHORITY of Lochinver lifeboat station received a call from Stornoway Coastguard at 1633 on Thursday June 16, asking him to stand by because Lochinver police had just reported that an unknown vessel had gone on to the rocks at Stoer Head, about seven or eight miles north west of the lifeboat station. Three minutes later came the request to launch. The crew were alerted and by 1700 the 52ft Barnett lifeboat Ramsay Dyce had slipped her mooring and set out on service under the command of Acting Coxswain Stuart McClelland. It was a clear afternoon with good visibility, a gentle breeze blowing from the south west and a choppy sea. The tide was flooding.

At 1730 a message came from the Coastguard to say that the casualty was the motor fishing vessel Arcadia of Inverness and that there had probably been five men on board. The lifeboat, together with a helicopter, made a thorough search of the area continuing until 2215 when she sent a message to say that one body had been recovered from the fishing vessel's wreckage and that she expected to arrive at Lochinver at 2250.

When the search was resumed early next morning, Friday June 17, divers were called in and the Ramsay Dyce was at sea from 0730 until 1520. Four bodies were recovered by the divers and brought back to Lochinver aboard the lifeboat..