On March 3, 2026, a tug boat sank at its mooring in the Sound of Kerrera, located in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. HM Coastguard and RNLI Oban Lifeboat Station were alerted shortly after 7:30 AM and responded promptly. Fortunately, there were no crew members onboard at the time of the sinking. Upon arrival, the rescue teams discovered a significant amount of flotsam and debris surrounding the wrecked vessel.

The RNLI confirmed that they were able to recover the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) from the sunken tug boat to mitigate environmental hazards, specifically to prevent the battery from leaking into the surrounding waters. In addition to the lifeboat crew, the manager of Kerrera Marina responded to the incident by bringing a rigid inflatable boat (RIB), assisting in the recovery of life jackets and life-rings, as well as collecting as much of the floating debris as possible from the accident site.

The recovered items were handed over to a coastguard rescue team stationed at Oban Sailing Club, ensuring that they could be adequately managed and reducing potential hazards for other vessels and marine life in the area. Incidents such as this highlight the essential role of volunteer rescue services and the continuous need for safety measures on the water, particularly in busy maritime regions like the Sound of Kerrera.