New birth for Oban lifeboat!Oban's new Trent had been on service for less than three weeks when her services were first officially recognised - by the naming of a baby!baby! The Trent, Mora Edith Macdonald, received her 'award' as a result of a service on 5 August 1997, when the station received a call at 0455 from the Coastguard asking the lifeboat to transfer an expectant mother from the Isle of Mull to Oban.

The lifeboat embarked a midwife and incubator and went to sea at 0536, in calm conditions, to make an 0615 rendezvous with an ambulance at Craigmure. On the way she received another message: wait at Craigmure for further instructions.

The patient's labour was well advanced and the doctor was at first undecided on the best course of action, but by 0800 the patient was safely aboard the lifeboat and bound for Oban.

Mora Edith Macdonald went alongside her berth a little under half-an-hour later, ready to transfer the lady to a waiting ambulance.

It wasn't to be, however. The travelling midwife had decided that labour was too advanced to put the patient ashore -and so at 0901 the Oban crew had the first birth aboard their lifeboats! The crew were delighted to have been of help,summed up by the honorary secretary in the final paragraph of his return of service to headquarters: 'A memorable first forOban lifeboat crew - the excitement of the birth of Hazel Beth Mora Banner will long be remembered.

It was pleasing for us all that the name Mora was included.'.