Rip tides cause difficulties for bodyboarders in Caithness
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Thurso lifeboat responded to two separate calls about bodyboarders getting into difficulty in the high seas around the Caithness coast yesterday (Sunday).
The Taylors was alerted first to a bodyboarder being dragged out to sea near Castlehill harbour, Dunnet Bay, but the crew were stood down en route only to be called out shortly after to another person seen struggling in the water near the castle in Thurso.
Local woman Claire Macleod (46), had been out in the water near Castletown while her daughter was surfing along with other experienced surfers. She explained that she had decided to go out on her bodyboard to be an extra adult in the water, however ended up getting caught in a rip tide and being dragged further out.
Fortunately Claire is quite a strong swimmer but she quickly got tired trying to get back in and drifted further away from the surfers. "I started to wave for help," she said. "They were just getting further and further away. My husband was watching and recognised I was no longer with the group – he called the coastguard."
"One of the surfers, Billy Brock, came back to me and guided me out of the water in a different direction. He gave me his surf board and I was able to paddle in using it – he got me into the slack water so I could get out over on the rocks at the side. I was tired when I got out, I felt exhausted."
Saying that she felt awful about the whole incident, Claire stressed: "I'm incredibly grateful to the lifeboat, I do think a lot of them as a charity. It is not a service I thought I would every have to use. Thankfully Billy, with his experience, was able to help."
Claire, who was wearing her wetsuit, pointed out: "I am quite safety aware – I have been an outdoor swimmer a long time and would never swim in those conditions. I got a huge fright – it shows you the power of the sea."
She went on to explain that she thought she would be fine on her paddle board, along with the others. Claire generally finds the water is great for her mental health and general well-being and is planning to take part in a swim at Loch Morlich in September – a personal challenge of swimming a mile in open water.
Meanwhile in the incident near Thurso East the lifeboat was about to launch the inflatable Y boat when they were informed that the bodyboarder, believed to be a visitor to the area, had been rescued by members of the public.
One of those helping in the rescue, local practice nurse Tracey Macleod said: "I was out for a walk and saw the surfers – I stopped at the pier where people were starting to gather taking photos of them."
She spotted what she thought was a surfer on the castle side of the pier and saw he was waving but was not sure if he was needing help as he was not looking distressed.
Tracey, who works at the Princes Street Surgery in Thurso, stayed and watched for a while and saw the man moved more around to the front of the pier where someone with a camera went down to take photos not noticing the person was in difficulty.
Tracey, along with Mel Roger, noticed he was waving and saw he was having trouble making it to shore and could see he was in the rip where the tides meet.
"I ran to get the buoy," Tracey said. Another two men were taking photos at the end of the pier and one offered to help throw the lifebouy in. "They helped me pull him in," she said.
Tracey explained that at this point they were on the beach side of the pier where a lot of big waves were coming in. "I did not want to get too close," she added. "It was not until we got him in I realised he was on a paddle board and not a surfer. I thought it was a bit weird someone paddling in a rip part. He was paddling like mad but not getting anywhere."
Once safely on dry land the boarder thanked everyone very much, then asked for a phone to contact his sister and say he was all right.
Press officer for the Thurso lifeboat Ron Gunn stressed: "Members of the public should not hesitate to dial 999 if they think someone is in difficulty. The crew don't mind going to a non-event – we would rather that."
