Three rescued after dive boat runs aground, sinks

The boat sank in spite of the RNLI's attempts to bail it out with a salvage pump.

Kyle Lifeboat arriving on scene to the Sabre 2 Credit: RNLI/Andrew Macdonald

Lochalsh RNLI’s volunteer crew mobilised Sunday to assist a stricken dive boat near the entrance of Loch Kishorn.

The Kyle lifeboat arrived on the accident scene at 2:50pm to find the 35ft diving vessel Sabre 2 aground with the tide receding.

The lifeboat crew took one diver onboard while the other two remained on the grounded vessel to check for damage. After the inspection, the group elected to stay with the boat and wait for the tide re-float it.

When the tide turned, the RNLI crew established a tow line to Sabre 2, but when the boat was floated free from its grounding, it began taking on water.

The RNLI lifeboat used a salvage pump in an attempt to keep the vessel afloat, but Sabre 2 was taking on too much water and began to list to its port side in choppy seas.

Within minutes, the diving vessel became flooded and sank.

One of the RNLI crew explained: “The vessel did not appear to have been damaged by the rock, however there must have been significant damage to the underside of the hull as once it began to float free from the rock, it only took a couple of minutes for the boat to go down. Although we couldn’t save the boat, everyone was rescued safely which was the most important thing.”

RNLI lifeboats scrambled to save crew of grounded fishing boat