THE REMARKABLY busy start to 2008 for Arbroath’s lifeboats continued yesterday when both boats were involved in rescuing a local creel fisherman after his boat’s propeller became entangled in his creel lines.

The Mersey-class lifeboat Inchcape—crewed by Allan Russell, Ron Churchill sen, Colin Stewart, Peter Willis and Ralph Barnett—and the D-Class inshore boat Duncan Ferguson—manned by David Sigley and Keith and Neil Swankie—set out soon after the alarm was raised at 11am. Coastguard personnel were involved in the shore side of the operation.

The creel boat was becalmed about a mile offshore from Auchmithie in relatively heavy seas, poor visibility and heavy rain. The skipper, alone on the vessel, used a signal flare to alert crews to his position.

Cutting equipment was used to free the stricken boat from the creel lines and the vessel, which had no power, was towed by the Inchcape safely back to Arbroath harbour. The inshore boat provided an escort with crewman Neil Swankie aboard the creel boat to assist the skipper.