RNLI to rescue as Viking raid on Leven goes awry
A viking invasion of Leven turned into drama on the high seas on Saturday as lifeboat crews rushed to the aid of sailors adrift in a stricken longboat.
The RNLI comes to the Viking longboat's rescue.
- By Jonathan Watson
- Published in the Courier : 06.09.10
- Published online : 06.09.10 @ 08.07am
Fourteen sailors were rescued by both Kinghorn and Anstruther RNLI volunteers after heavy sea swell and strong winds threatened to carry their traditional craft out to sea.
The crew — members of the Ardglass Vikings charity organisation — became stranded off Leven as they headed for the town's promenade for the weekend's Medieval Methil event.
However, in a predicament that even Nogbad the Bad would have found hard to conjure up, conditions conspired against the crew and despite trying both sail and oar power to reach land, local lifeboat assistance was required.
Scrambled shortly before 2.30pm, both lifeboat teams worked together to ensure the safety of the Viking crew before towing them to Methil docks.
Anstruther coxswain Michael Bruce said, "It was a little like we had stepped back in time as we approached this vessel and its crew who were dressed in Viking clothing."
He said the wind and sea conditions presented quite a challenge, but the combined expertise of the two crews brought the difficult situation to a "swift and positive conclusion."
The mock raid was to have been part of Medieval Methil's open day on Leven Prom.
The event ended with a torchlight procession and the recreation of a traditional chieftain funeral, with archers setting alight a specially built boat.
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