Scrabster coastal search involving Police Scotland, a Coastguard helicopter from Inverness and RNLI Thurso locates person after ‘cries for help’ heard south of harbour
Cries for help near Scrabster beach sparked a major police, coastguard and lifeboat search on Monday evening.
A passer-by raised the alarm after hearing repeated shouts for assistance coming from land behind the village’s Miller Place, less than a mile south of the harbour.
A Coastguard helicopter from Inverness was scrambled to the area and police carried out land searches.
Thurso RNLI relief lifeboat Beth Sell was also launched at 9.50pm, with crew members using specialised search lights, but was stood down at 11pm after two men were located safe and well.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 9.40pm on Monday, 24 February, 2025, we were called to a report of concern for a person in the Miller Place area of Thurso.
"Extensive enquiries were carried out and two men were traced safe and well nearby.”
A spokesman for Thurso RNLI said: “We launched in response to a telephone call from a member of the public reporting that they had heard repeated calls for help coming from the ground behind Millers Place, Scrabster that slopes down to Scrabster beach.
“The lifeboat immediately went to the area and the inflatable Y boat was deployed with casualty care trained crew members.
“Coastguard teams and Police Scotland were already in the area conducting land-based searches.
“Both lifeboats searched the coastline area using search lights and thermal binoculars.
“The Coastguard Search and Rescue helicopter from Inverness was also deployed in the search.
“At 11pm Coxswain Mark Johnston stood down the lifeboat when Police Scotland reported that a person had been located in the area.”
The lifeboat returned to Scrabster and was made ready for service at 11.30pm.
Thurso RNLI crew recently took part in training exercises in the deployment of the Y boat and search light use, shown in their photos here.