Teenager rescues two men from sea off Isle of Skye

A 15-year-old boy has been hailed a hero after rescuing two men from the water off the Isle of Skye. Archie Law used his own boat to reach the men, who had fallen from an inflatable toy boat, beating the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat crew to the scene.

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I could see them from my window and they were paddling in circles out in the bay, drifting further away. I made a decision to go and check if they were OK. As I got closer I could see it was a small kids’ dinghy. They seemed very cold and tired and thankful I had spotted them. I got them back to the wee pier and they were met with towels and warm clothes.

The UK coastguard received reports of two males in difficulty around 9 p.m. on Saturday near Broadford Bay. The RNLI launched a lifeboat from its Kyle of Lochalsh station, but en route, they were informed that Archie had already spotted the men and gone to their aid.

Archie, who lives locally, noticed the men paddling in circles and drifting away from shore. He decided to investigate, realizing they were in a small children's dinghy and appeared cold and tired. He successfully brought them back to shore, where they were met with towels and warm clothes.

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We’d like to remind people that blow-up inflatable toys should be kept for use in swimming pools and not open water, and to always ensure that you have lifejackets on and a means of communicating to the emergency services if you get into any difficulty.

Andrew MacDonald of Kyle RNLI commended Archie's decisiveness, stating that his quick actions averted a potentially more serious situation. The incident serves as a stark reminder from the RNLI about the dangers of using inflatable toys in open water and the importance of carrying lifejackets and communication devices.

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Anyone who finds themselves in danger in the water should fight the panic instinct and “float to live” – try to relax and float on their back, with head tilted back, gently moving their hands and legs to help them stay afloat. This buys valuable time to get your breathing back under control, before then calling for help or swimming to safety.