Stranded East Lothian kayakers rescued from rough waters

Two East Lothian kayakers had to be rescued by lifeboat crews after getting into difficulty in rough seas.
The two kayakers were picked up by Kinghorn RNLI LifeboatThe two kayakers were picked up by Kinghorn RNLI Lifeboat
The two kayakers were picked up by Kinghorn RNLI Lifeboat

The male and female kayakers were 2nm off Port Seton, near Edinburgh, when the male was hit by a wave which knocked him into the water.

Unable to self rescue, the female kayaker remained with him while they triggered their Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) just before noon today (Sunday 10 March).

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The beacon alert was picked up by the Coastguard’s mission control centre before passing details onto Aberdeen Coastguard Operations Centre, who coordinated the multi-agency rescue operation.

The Kinghorn, Dunbar and North Berwick RNLI Lifeboats, alongside the South Queensferry North Berwick and Fisherrow Coastguard Rescue Teams and the HM Coastguard Prestwick helicopter were all called into action.

HM Coastguard also issued a Mayday Relay broadcast to all vessels in the area, alerting them to join the search for the missing kayakers.

The male kayaker was believed to have been in the water for 50 minutes when the pair were picked up by the Kinghorn RNLI Lifeboat.

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They were promptly brought to shore where paramedics were waiting to give treatment. Despite his ordeal, the male kayaker is safe and well, just suffering from the effects of a cold.

Jonathan Mustard, Senior Maritime Operations Officer for HM Coastguard said: “This is a great example of how a Personal Locator Beacon, when properly used and registered, can save a person’s life.

“These kayakers ensured that, should they get into difficulty whilst out at sea, they had the right equipment to give them the best chance of being located and rescued.

“This is another incident could so easily have turned into a really tragic one. The quick thinking action of these kayakers undoubtedly helped save their lives today and we wish them both a speedy recovery.”