A cargo ship 'dangerously' ran aground underneath a Scots bridge yesterday.
Lifeboat and coastguard crews were paged at 3.24pm on Friday after the alarm was sounded, with reports a cargo vessel had ran aground under the Skye Bridge.
It then began to float free and drift broadside across the shipping lane towards the bridge and nearby rocks.
A 'Pan Pan' situation, which is the international standard urgency signal, was declared. This alerts rescue crews that someone onboard a boat, aircraft or other has a situation that is urgent but does not pose an immediate danger to anyone's life or to the vessel itself.
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The coastguard tried to contact the stricken vessel via radio but were receiving no response. and due to the size of the vessel had launched both Kyle and Portree lifeboats.
A spokesman for the RNLI said: "Kyle lifeboat arrived on scene within 2 minutes of launching and found the vessel broadside under the bridge drifting towards the rocks.
"The lifeboat crew tried to make contact with the crew on board the ship but could not get a response, however luckily the cargo vessel managed to restore propulsion and make its way towards the nearby pier at the Kyleakin Fish plant.
"Kyle lifeboat shadowed the vessel into the pier to ensure it made it safely, and once it was alongside and secured, Portree lifeboat, which was making best speed towards the area, was stood down."
Speaking of the incident, a Kyle spokesperson said ‘When we arrived on scene the situation was serious, the vessel was no longer aground, but was floating broadside across the shipping channel and was drifting dangerously close to the bridge and nearby rocks.
"The vessel’s crew were not answering VHF radio calls and were not responding to the lifeboat crews attempts to make contact with them, but luckily the vessel managed to restore propulsion and made her own way the short distance to the MOWI pier in Kyleakin’."
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