TWO schoolgirls have been rescued from an uninhabited Scottish island after being swept out to sea while paddleboarding off the west coast.
UK Coastguard was called to an emergency at around 3.45pm on Tuesday after the two young children, aged 11 and 12, were in danger in the Arisaig area, south of Mallaig.
A crew from RNLI Kyle, based at the Kyle of Lochalsh, scrambled to find the girls, as did a Coastguard helicopter.
The pair was found “stranded” on an uninhabited island at just before 4.35pm by the helicopter, before the RNLI boat arrived and got them off the island.
The RNLI said the schoolchildren were transported back to their relieved parents on the mainland at Traigh, south of the silver sands of Morar.
The incident happened just hours after RNLI Kyle was called out to assist a broken down vessel in the mouth of Loch Carron, which was reported to be drifting towards rocks.
The lifeboat the “Spirit of Fred. Olsen” arrived to find a 10-metre motor vessel being helped by another sailor, when the RNLI team took over.
The stricken vessel was delivered to Kishorn boatyard at 12.35pm, RNLI Kyle said.
Jonathon MacKinnon, helm for Kyle RNLI on the second callout, said: “Yesterday was a busy day for our crews.
“We were out in the morning to a broken down vessel, and then again less than five hours later to the paddleboarders.
“The two children had gotten a bit of a fright and their parents were relieved to get them back safe and sound.
“We have to thank our crews and their employers, who let them drop everything at a moment’s notice and respond when the pager sounds.”
Kyle RNLI said the incidents were the tenth and eleventh callouts of 2024.
