THE CREWS of Arbroath’s lifeboats have been given a personal and official thank you from the operations director of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in recognition of their actions in the early hours of New Year’s Day, when they went to the aid of an injured angler.

The rescue was the first “shout” of 2008 in the whole of the United Kingdom and Ireland and saw crew members and launchers—all of whom were seeing in the new year with friends and families—drop everything to respond to their alert pagers.

In a letter to Arbroath RNLI lifeboat operations manager Stuart Fergusson, Michael Vlasto recounts the report of the incident in which the lifeboats Inchcape, under coxswain Tommy Yule, and the Duncan Ferguson, under helmsman Dave Sigley, were launched at 1.05am following a report that an angler had fallen down the rocks at Brandy Cove.

In thick freezing fog, with reduced visibility and a one metre swell the scene was reached in 10 minutes.

The letter continues, “Dave, whose crew were Ian Ross and Derek Robertson, took the inshore boat to the shore and landed Ian to assess the situation.

“The injured man was on a section of rocks about 20 feet above the sea, on a steep slope…

“Colin Stewart and Malcolm Teviotdale were transferred ashore from the all-weather lifeboat to give first aid to the injured man and, when he was ready, he was placed on a stretcher which was carefully lowered down to the inshore lifeboat.

“I note that it took 11 people to carry out this transfer and that it was difficult to hold the lifeboat in position because of the swell.

“The man was safely transferred to the all-weather lifeboat where Colin, together with Allan Russell and Neil Swankie, continued to render first aid.

“Both lifeboats returned to Arbroath harbour where the man was handed into the care of an ambulance crew.”

Mr Vlasto concluded, “This service, carried out in such cold conditions and at such a socially inappropriate hour, demonstrated first-class teamwork, first aid and commitment by all those involved.

“Well done, indeed, all of you.”

Mr Fergusson said yesterday, “Our crew members do what they do without any thought of reward or recognition for their services but, once in a while, it is nice to be told that we are appreciated.”