It was a dark and stormy night...

The Invergordon lifeboat Douglas Aikman Smith was launched just before midnight on 10 May 2002, following reports that two craft were overdue at Golspie, in winds of Force 5-6. Contact was soon established with the 11m yacht Regulus, which had suffered engine failure. The other, smaller craft was a 5m dinghy - with no radio or life saving equipment - which had failed to return having set out to search for the Regulus.

Within the hour, the lifeboat was alongside the Regulus and established that its skipper - and his dog - were safe.

While the skipper tried to anchor his boat, the lifeboat began a search for the missing dinghy. A helicopter joined the search and after the dinghy's sole occupant used his mobile telephone to give an indication of his position to the Coastguard, it was spotted by the helicopter and located by the lifeboat shortly after 2am.

In 30 knot winds, the dinghy was towed safely to the harbour at Golspie. The lifeboat returned to the Regulus and at 3.30am began to tow her to Golspie, returning to station at 6.25am.

Coxswain Coutts and his crew were commended by the operations director of the RNLI for their teamwork and commitment on this long service conducted in darkness and in poor conditions..