Boat's 'failure to return' sparks late night call-out for Thurso lifeboat
Fears over the possible fate of a small boat sparked a call-out for the Thurso RNLI lifeboat on Thursday night.
The crew were paged at 10.22pm in response to a report from a concerned member of the public that a small boat that had launched from Castlehill harbour at midday had failed to return.
The car and boat trailer were still parked up, and the caller was concerned over the fate of the person aboard the vessel.
The RNLI crew launched at 10.30pm and quickly made their way to the Dunnet Bay area to commence a search using the lifeboat’s radar and night vision binoculars.
"Around 11.15pm the 16ft boat was spotted anchored in the bay," said a spokesperson.

"The lifeboat went alongside to find that the gentleman was resting while taking part in an all-night fishing venture.
"The crew checked he was well and that he had some form of communication with him and suggested that he update family or friends of his plans especially if he is at sea for a long time.
"RNLI are always happy to response to any calls that members of the public are concerned about. The Taylors [lifeboat] returned to Scrabster and was made ready for service at 11.45pm."
Related: Late-night hot tub in Dunnet Bay sparks rescue call-out for Thurso lifeboat volunteers