By Lucy Ashton

RNLI’s Oban lifeboat was tasked by Stornoway coastguard after a 17-metre fishing boat began taking on water south of the Garvellachs on Wednesday afternoon at around 1pm.

When the lifeboat arrived, they discovered two members of the crew on a life-raft while two others had remained on board in a bid to stem the flow of water coming in.

The Prestwick-based Coastguard helicopter Rescue 199 and a local workboat were standing by, however, strong winds and a heavy sea made it impossible to transfer across members of the lifeboat crew to the fishing boat with a salvage pump.

However, while the vessel was being towed by the lifeboat and was about two miles south west of Easdale island, it began taking in water again and listed heavily.

It sank in a matter of minutes, forcing the two remaining people on the fishing vessel into the water and they swam to the lifeboat and were pulled to safety by its crew.

Oban lifeboat Coxswain Ally Cerexhe said that both high winds and a significant swell made the operation difficult.

He said: “What had been a slow tow suddenly changed and the fishing vessel listed heavily and then sank very quickly, forcing the two members to abandon the boat and swim across to us.

The lifeboat returned to Oban where the four people from the fishing vessel were passed into the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service and Coastguard team members.