The swift actions of Helensburgh lifeboat on the Firth led to the rescue of three casualties one after the other on Sunday afternoon.

The drama started when a woman on 33ft Sigma, Skimble Shanks, was hit by the boom and knocked unconscious. The RNLI inshore boat launched immediately with a paramedic onboard and transferred the woman to a spinal board before taking her ashore at Greenock where an ambulance was waiting.

Just as the crew were being stood down they were asked to respond to a 999 call alerting them to a 13-year-old boy who had fallen off the pier at Newark Castle. The lifeboat recovered the boy, who was holding onto a post, and he was taken to hospital suffering hypothermia.

On their way home, the RNLI crew were again diverted, this time to a broken-down motorcruiser, which was being towed with difficulty and in danger of hitting rocks. The lifeboat took over the tow and safely moored the vessel in Holy Loch before returning to the station.

Clyde Coastguard Watch Manager, Stuart Atkinson, said ‘It has been a particularly busy weekend for us, and we are especially grateful to the lifeboat crew for their care in transporting the woman back to Greenock. We would also ask all parents to remind their offspring that despite the warm and sultry weather we’re having at present, the water temperature really doesn’t rise that much in the Firth. Even a quick immersion can bring on hypothermia.’