Men rescued from Inchkeith island after kayak capsized

The men raised the alarm after getting into difficulty at around 3.20pm on Saturday.

Jenness Mitchell

25th Apr 2021

Two men were forced to take refuge on Inchkeith island in the Firth of Forth after their inflatable kayak capsized.

The kayakers raised the alarm after getting into difficulty at around 3.20pm on Saturday.

Once on the Fife island, the pair used a mobile phone to alert the Coastguard.

Kinghorn RNLI’s volunteer crew raced to the rock and rescued the men from the bottom of a cliff on the west side of the island.

The kayakers were brought ashore and then transferred into the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service.

The lifeboat crew then returned to the water to retrieve the men’s kayak and equipment.

Leven’s Coastguard team also provided support.

Helm Mike Chalmers said: “The two men had set off from Pettycur in an inflatable kayak.

“They had managed to get to the island but then got into difficulty. Fortunately, they managed to get ashore and call for help.

“We quickly located the two casualties and returned them to Kinghorn.

“We then relaunched and returned to Inchkeith to recover the kayak and equipment to prevent it floating away and potentially result in a further callout for us.”

The RNLI has sea safety advice on its website.

Mr Chalmers added: “If you are planning to take part in watersports this summer, we would always recommend that you are properly equipped with the relevant skills and experience for the conditions.”

If you ever spot anyone in difficulty on the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.