Fishermen saved after 20 hours in ferocious blizzard It took a joint effort by the Mallaig and Kyle of Lochalsh lifeboats, RAF and coastguard helicopters and local fishermen to locate two friends who got lost while out whelking on 27 December last year. The two men had gone out separately and neither knew the other was nearby, yet both were caught out by the near whiteout conditions caused by a fierce snowstorm and freezing temperatures.The men both went out at around 3pm looking for whelks and both were due back before dark.

However as night fell there had been no sign of them and the alarm was raised.

'We were told they never went beyond a certain bay,' said Michael Currie, coxswain of the Mallaig lifeboat. 'We concentrated our search along the coastline but there had been a colossal amount of snow. Any boat would have been covered in snow and very hard to see.' To make matters worse, the coastline where the men had gone missing is very rough and the lifeboat couldn't get close to shore to search. The crew used a searchlight to scan the shore, but heavy snow reflected the light back making it even harder to see.

The Kyle of Lochalsh lifeboat [oined the search along with an RAF Helicopter and local fishing boats, but hopes of finding the men were not high. As midnight approached the weather was worsening when the helicopter spotted one of the boats moored in a bay several miles south of the initial search area. The site was 25 miles from any habitation, but the helicopter crew could see footsteps leading inland from the boat.

a The lifeboat and fishing vessels could now jncentrate their search on the other vessel, but with worsening weather and zero visibility they reluctantly decided to abandon the search , until morning.The boats set out again at 6 o'clock the next k morning to resume the search, and were now joined byhelicopters from the RAF and Stornoway Coastguard, a mountain rescue team and local volunteers. Things were starting to look very serious.' recalled Michael.

After four hours, the first man was found more than a mile from his boat struggling through the heavy snow. He was immediatelytransferred to Broadford Hospital and the search continued for the other man. Just half an hour later the fishing boat Golden Isles spotted the second missing boat drifting 1 mile off the Isle of Rhum.

He had spent the night drifting in the boat, not knowing where he was. When morning came the boat was hit by a huge wave and he was thrown into the water. Fortunately he was only in the water for around half an hour before the Golden Isles found him. She brought him aboard and contacted the lifeboat and he was then transferred by helicopter to join his friend in hospital. 'A huge cheer went up in the lifeboat when we found he was alright,' remembered Michael. 'It was remarkable that the two men had survived such severe weather conditions. We weren't expecting to find them. It is incredible how they stuck it out for 20 hours.' 'It was an experience I hope never to repeat but I know that my rescue was only one of the many which the FtNLt undertakes every year. I have never been out at sea in such conditions before; in the time it took to refuel my outboard, visibility went from several metres to zero. I could hardly make out the bow of the boat and I became disorientated. I was lucky to survive.' Donald John MacDonald ± Rescued fishermanThe Lifeboat Arun class lifeboal ON-1078 The Davna & Charles Matthews Hunter Assisting Lifeboat Atlantic 75 B740 Alexander Catianach Coxswain MichMl Currie Oew Members Pi trick Monison Albort McMinn Paul Sinclair Neil MacDonald Martin Boyce.