Tyne saves crew of fjve from stranded fishing vessel Fraserburgh's Tyne class lifeboat City of Edinburgh was involved in a service on 11 September 1995 which although fairly short in duration was commended by the divisional inspector of lifeboats for Scotland, John Caldwell, for its seamanship and teamwork and for the coxswain's boat-handling and decisiveness in a potentially dangerous situation.It was at 0246 on the morning of Monday 11 September that the lifeboat's second coxswain Victor Sutherland, who was on duty at the Harbour Control office, heard the skipper of the 60ft Banff-registered fishing vessel Sovereign call to say that his vessel was aground 1.2 miles to the west of the headland which protects the port.

The second coxswain informed the coastguard and the lifeboat station and minutes later the pagers alerted the crew.

The lifeboat was launched from her slipway in the harbour at 0259 with coxswain Albert Sutherland in command and immediately headed off to the northwest, to clear the headland and make for the casualty's position.

However another fishing vessel heard a VHP radio conversation between the lifeboat and the coastguard and called tosay that she was off a small headland and group of rocks called Cairnbulg Briggs - two miles to the east of the harbour - and could see the casualty aground there! The lifeboat immediately altered course and made for the beacon which marks the outer end of the rocks and was soon able to establish radio contact with the casualty.

Although the onshore wind was only Force 3 a large swell up to 3m was pounding the vessel. Sovereign's crew had tried to launch a liferaft, but it had been swept away and one of the crew had lostpart of two fingers while trying to secure it. The skipper was very concerned for the safety of his crew and was convinced that the lifeboat would not be able to enter the shallow, broken water to take them off. He had asked for a helicopter evacuation - but no helicopter was available as a result of an earlier incident.

At 0309 coxswain Sutherland brought the lifeboat in towards the casualty intending an approach from the east, only to find that Sovereign had been washed completely over the rocks and there was no option but to approach from the west.

Although there was 21ft of water at the outer beacon the water shoaled rapidly as the lifeboat slipped into a narrow gap inside an offlying rock called the Mungo and at one stage the echo sounder showed only 2ft beneath the keel. Coxswain Sutherland shouted a warning and the crew braced themselves as the lifeboat grounded briefly and then lifted off again in the 1.5m swell.

The casualty could now be seen clearly - beam on the swell and rolling and yawing violently. Her crew was on the shelterdeck forward of the wheelhouse where they were being swamped by water and spray from the breaking swell. The lifeboat was driven close in towards the casualty's starboard shoulder and as she lifted on a swell the five men leap t aboard.

Taking the lifeboat hard astern coxswain Sutherland was able to get clear the casualty, avoid the Mungo rock and regain the safety of deep water again.

At 0321 the lifeboat returned to harbour where the casualties were landed, although she could not be rehoused because of the swell running at the base of the slipway.

When she was finally rehoused at 1845 that day she was examined for damage following the grounding, although none was found..