FAST BOAT exercises by the Royal Marines at Arbroath harbour were curtailed for a short time yesterday afternoon after a couple of participants were injured in heavy seas.

People from different backgrounds were being given a taste of what life is like in one of the elite fighting forces when the incident occurred.

It is understood that a 20-year-old female suffered a back injury after a heavy landing aboard one of the marines’ ‘rigid raider’ watercraft.

She was taken to Ninewells Hospital by ambulance at around 1 pm as a precaution after being assisted at the harbour by military ambulance personnel. A male, suffering back pain, was also treated locally after coming off one of the boats.

A member of the town’s lifeboat crew, who had been exercising alongside the marines at the same time, said conditions had been tricky.

“It was very windy and the sea was quite rough,” he said.

“These boats are very light and quick and they can come down quite hard.”

Students, senior pupils and members of the public who took up the invitation to Meet the Marines for the day found themselves in the thick of the action at the RM Condor base and elsewhere.

The amphibious infantry of the Royal Navy is quite rightly acknowledged as one of the world’s elite fighting forces.

The 3 Commando Brigade can deploy anywhere in the world, at short notice, to mount an amphibious assault.

Capable of operating ashore as a light brigade in any terrain or climate, they are unique in specialising in mountain and cold weather operations.

Those seafaring skills were being demonstrated just off Arbroath harbour in windy conditions when yesterday’s incident took place.

The programme of activities for the day also included abseiling and climbing, cross country driving, live firing, armed combat manoeuvres and unarmed combat.

A second group of volunteers will be put through their paces by the marines today.