Ferry, fishing boat rescue two castaways off Cruden Bay, Scotland

A commercial passenger vessel and a fishing boat came to the aid of two recreational boaters and brought them to safety after their catamaran craft capsized off Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on Saturday, July 17.

Hrossey (pictured), a Ro-Pax vessel operated by Orkney-based Serco NorthLink Ferries, and a Cruden Bay fishing boat immediately diverted to the area off Cruden Bay upon learning that two people were adrift in the water.

Hrossey‘s crew launched one of the ferry’s fast response craft. The response craft crew then brought one of the boaters aboard and transferred the same individual to the smaller fishing boat.

Meanwhile, the fishing boat crew pulled the second castaway out of the water.

Both survivors were then handed over to an RNLI lifeboat that had deployed from Peterhead in response to the capsizing.

The fishing boat later took the boaters’ capsized catamaran under tow and sailed for Cruden Bay with the RNLI lifeboat as escort.

The RNLI said the survivors suffered no injuries as they were able to don dry suits and lifejackets before they were forced to jump into the water.