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Lifeboat crews rescue five people Lifeboat crews rescue five people
(about 5 hours later)
Five people have been rescued by lifeboat crews after their vessels were caught in rough conditions.Five people have been rescued by lifeboat crews after their vessels were caught in rough conditions.
Bad weather forced a crew to abandon their yacht in the North Sea on Friday and transfer to a lifeboat. Bad weather forced a Swedish couple to abandon their yacht in the North Sea on Friday and transfer to a lifeboat.
The conditions meant the vessel could not be towed and the two people were rescued 25 miles north east of Dunbar. The conditions meant the 24ft vessel could not be towed and the pair were rescued 25 miles north east of Dunbar.
Three people were also picked up by the RNLI after their catamaran began taking on water six miles east of Findon Ness on Friday morning.Three people were also picked up by the RNLI after their catamaran began taking on water six miles east of Findon Ness on Friday morning.
The coastguard were contacted after water started coming through a deck hatch, which the crew were unable to secure in the 4-6m sea swell.The coastguard were contacted after water started coming through a deck hatch, which the crew were unable to secure in the 4-6m sea swell.
'Too unstable'
Rod McGillivray, from Aberdeen RNLI, said the catamaran was unstable when the RNLI crew boarded the vessel, so the three people on board were transferred to the lifeboat. They were not injured.Rod McGillivray, from Aberdeen RNLI, said the catamaran was unstable when the RNLI crew boarded the vessel, so the three people on board were transferred to the lifeboat. They were not injured.
'Too unstable'
"A tow was established but on route back to Aberdeen it was felt the catamaran was too unstable and so the tow was detached four miles off Greg Ness," he added."A tow was established but on route back to Aberdeen it was felt the catamaran was too unstable and so the tow was detached four miles off Greg Ness," he added.
The yacht rescue involved two foreign nationals - a man and a woman - who were also uninjured in the incident. The couple rescued from the yacht, Jonas and Ingrid Akerblom from Gothenburg, were sailing from Denmark to the Firth of Forth at the start of a 14-month trip.
Forth Coastguard took the call just after 1700 BST on Friday. But just days into their journey they ran into difficulties and Forth Coastguard were called out just after 1700 BST on Friday.
Stephen Higgins, from Forth Coastguard, said: "We were very concerned for the welfare of the two crew aboard as we knew the weather conditions were worsening with easterly winds 35-40 knots and waves up to 8m high. Gary Fairbairn, the coxswain of the all-weather lifeboat involved in the rescue, said there were severe gale-force winds and a 10m swell at sea.
"Dunbar all-weather RNLI lifeboat was requested to launch and a commercial tug RT Magic was standing by until the arrival of the lifeboat." "It's the worst sea that we have ever been out in," he said.
The lifeboat was hit by a massive wave, which knocked it right over onto its side Gary FairbairnLifeboat coxswain
"When we reached the yacht there was a man and his wife aboard, and we decided it was impossible to tow them because of the weather conditions."
He said the lifeboat crew then discovered the couple had only one life jacket between them.
"We decided we had no choice but to go alongside the yacht and bring them aboard the lifeboat," he said.
"The first time we tried the lifeboat was hit by a massive wave, which knocked it right over onto its side.
"Once the boat righted itself we went back for another attempt and this time we managed to get within inches of the yacht and snatched the wife off the boat and into the safety of the lifeboat.
"We then did the same again with her husband."
Because Mr Akerblom, 46, and his wife, 50, came off the boat with only the clothes they were wearing, the lifeboat crew paid for them to stay in a hotel in nearby Dunbar. They were uninjured.