Lifeboat crew rescue small boat near town beach struggling in choppy waters after engine fails

The lifeboat crew said the owner of the boat was ‘very lucky’.

The owner of a boat whose engine failed near Dunbar had a lucky escape, after lifeboat crew spotted the vessel struggling in blustery conditions.

Dunbar’s RNLI volunteers rescued the small boat in choppy conditions and in danger of drifting onto rocks near the town’s East beach on Saturday. The boat’s owner had to be treated for hypothermia.

The D-class inshore lifeboat was originally tasked just after 4pm after a swimmer was spotted in difficulty near the beach. But after the swimmer was reported to have come ashore unaided, the crew were about to be stood down when they spotted a small boat struggling in 2.5 metre waves.

The crew spotted the small boat struggling in choppy waters and blustery conditions

The 56-year-old owner of the Rigid Raider craft had set off from Cove at 1pm and was heading to Dunbar Harbour when his primary engine failed.

He carried on with a smaller second engine when the crew intercepted him half a mile off East Beach. At first the volunteers escorted the boat. But the second engine soon failed so lifeboat crew took the casualty on board the ILB, protected him from the elements and towed the vessel into Dunbar Harbour.

ILB helm Alan Blair said: ‘Fortunately, we were in the right place at the right time. He was very lucky. By the time his second engine failed he was taking on a lot of water and might not have been able to raise the alarm before going onto rocks. If that had happened it could have been a very different scenario, like a water rescue or possibly a recovery.’

The casualty was taken ashore around 5.20pm where a waiting ambulance crew treated him for hypothermia.

By 6pm the ILB was refuelled and ready for its next service.