A 15-year-old beat the lifeboat crew to a rescue off the Isle of Skye after spotting two men in trouble from his window.
Archie Law sailed out on his own boat on Saturday evening and brought both men back to shore safely after they fell from what rescuers described as “a toy blow-up inflatable boat” in Broadford Bay.
The UK coastguard received reports of “two males in difficulty in the water” off Broadford Bay around 9pm.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution launched a lifeboat from its Kyle of Lochalsh station within 10 minutes of the emergency calls and made “best speed” towards the men’s last known location.
On the way, the crew were told Archie, who lives locally, had spotted the men in distress and gone out to help them. When the lifeboat crew arrived, Archie had already rescued both men and taken them back to shore.
After establishing everyone involved was safe and there were no injuries, the lifeboat returned to station to be cleaned, refuelled and made ready for service.
Speaking to Radio Skye, Archie said: “I could see them from my window and they were paddling in circles out in the bay, drifting further away.
“I made a decision to go and check if they were OK. As I got closer I could see it was a small kids’ dinghy.
“They seemed very cold and tired and thankful I had spotted them. I got them back to the wee pier and they were met with towels and warm clothes.”
Andrew MacDonald, helm at Kyle RNLI, praised the teenager’s quick thinking and said it was thanks to Archie’s decisiveness that “a far more serious situation was averted”.
He added: “We’d like to remind people that blow-up inflatable toys should be kept for use in swimming pools and not open water, and to always ensure that you have lifejackets on and a means of communicating to the emergency services if you get into any difficulty.”
A record-breaking heatwave is expected across the UK this week.
During a hot spell in May, at least 15 people are known to have died after getting into trouble in open water.
Ross Macleod, RNLI water safety manager, said: “Anyone who finds themselves in danger in the water should fight the panic instinct and “float to live”, try to relax and float on their back, with head tilted back, gently moving their hands and legs to help them stay afloat. This buys valuable time to get your breathing back under control, before then calling for help or swimming to safety.”
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