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Ben Meidie

7 October 1958

wrecks
This North Shields trawler operating out of Aberdeen ran aground on the Pentland Skerries. The Wick lifeboat, 'City of Edinburgh' put to sea at 11.45pm, followed 7 mins later by the Longhope lifeboat 'Thomas McGunn'. The trawler was found to be hard aground on the rocks, with a list of 45 degrees, heavy seas repeatedly sweeping clean over her and the 'City of Edinburgh' went alongside to take off the crew. They jumped aboard the pitching, rolling lifeboat one at a time, but one man mis-timed his leap and was in danger of falling between the two boats. Second coxswain John Sinclair grabbed hold of the man and hauled him aboard the lifeboat, but in doing so, Mr Sinclair's foot was badly crushed between the lifeboat and the trawler. Despite the agonising pain he was in, John Sinclair continued to help the fishermen aboard the lifeboat until the whole crew of 13 men had been rescued. Only when the last man was safely aboard would he allow his colleagues to treat his injuries. When the lifeboat landed the rescued men an ambulance was waiting to take Mr Sinclair to hospital, where one of those who treated his injuries was his daughter who was a nurse there. Position 58 41 08N, 02 53 50W.

The Ben Meidie (SN 340) was 102 tons.

For the Official Board of Trade Wreck Report please click here. 
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