VOLUNTEER Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) crews helped rescue a cargo vessel after it ran aground in the Breakish area of the Isle of Skye.
Coastguards from Kyle of Lochalsh and Portree were called out at 2.18am Monday morning after the vessel has dragged its anchor and ran aground at its rear.
RNLI teams communicated with the cargo crew after receiving a call from the vessel. Kyle lifeboat "Spirit of Fred Olsen" launched at 2.25am and arrived at the scene through rough water conditions.
The lifeboat arrived on scene at 2.40am and found that the was being pushed further ashore by the wind and seas.
The lifeboat crew made contact with those onboard the cargo to check nobody was injured and began an inspection to ensure no damage or pollution was made to the vessel.
The crew of the ship then made several attempts to free themselves, during which the crew aboard the Spirit of Fred Olsen stood by to provide safety cover, should they be needed.
Due to the size of the cargo vessel, a second lifeboat had also been called and arrived approximately an hour after the initial team arrived.
With the rising tide, the vessel managed to use its own thrusters and engine to take itself off the rocks at 4.15am and made way into deeper water to find a safe place to anchor.
Both lifeboats stood by to ensure that the vessel and crew were no longer in danger and there was no pollution risk.
The Kyle lifeboat was stood down at 5.25am, but the Portree lifeboat remained on scene to provide safety cover until a coastguard tug arrived.
The Spirit of Fred Olsen lifeboat then returned to station at 5.40am where the crew refuelled the boat and made it ready for service again.
Daniel Elliot, helm for Kyle of Lochalsh RNLI Lifeboat, said: “When we arrived on scene, the vessel was aground by the bow and was being pushed further ashore by the sea and weather, with a risk of the vessel turning broadside.
