Yacht rescued twice in three days

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Sailors have been urged to treat Loch Ness with respect after the same yacht had to be rescued twice in three days.

The Loch Ness RNLI lifeboat came to the aid of the yacht Rona for the second time on Sunday when it ran aground only 50m from the Urquhart Harbour.

It comes the day after the lifeboat rescued two canoeists, one who could barely walk through hypothermia.

A lifeboat spokesman said conditions on Loch Ness could change rapidly and be as bad as on open seas.

In the first incident the yacht lost power in high winds and was in danger of being driven onto rocks.

After being towed to Urquhart Harbour it rested up for two days before attempting to leave and grounding within sight of the lifeboat crew, who were taking part in training.

'Firm advice'

The RNLI said the skipper was towed to open water and given "firm advice" about the weather conditions and suitability of the vintage yacht for the planned journey.

Neil Hillyard, volunteer helm at Loch Ness RNLI, said: "We urge people to plan their journeys on the loch as they would for any open sea areas."

The two canoeists were rescued after capsizing in choppy conditions north of Invermoriston at about 1600 BST on Saturday.

The two men, who were in the water for 20 minutes, were taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness for treatment.

The lifeboat crew said their vessel took "quite a pounding" so conditions in the open canoes must have been terrifying.