But then swept back on his yacht by another
A solo sailor has been swept off his yacht by a wave, but then swept back on it again by another in a Force 8 gale.
Gerry Beard, 72, was nearing the end of an 11-day voyage from Iceland to his home port of Shieldaig in the Western Highlands, when he was swept overboard north of the Butt of Lewis on Saturday afternoon.
But the following wave then knocked him back into the cockpit of his yacht, Meris, and he activated his EPIRB.
He was then picked up by the Stornaway RNLI lifeboat crew and taken to the Isle of Lewis.
The experienced sailor told BBC Radio Scotland: ‘This wave picked me up and took the doors off the cabin.
‘I thought “I’m on my own here”. Then all the water went away and the boat came back towards me and I dropped back into the boat.’
Watch the RNLI’s video of Mr Beard’s rescue below.
Giant wave off Donegal is biggest ever in Irish waters.
Yacht does backflip off nine-metre waves.