ISLE OF SKYE — A 15-year-old rescued two men from an inflatable toy boat in Broadford Bay off the Isle of Skye on Saturday night. The UK coastguard received reports around 9pm of two males in difficulty in the water.

Archie Law, who lives locally, sailed his personal vessel to the location after observing the men from his window. He rescued the two men, taking them safely back to shore before the RNLI lifeboat arrived at the scene. No injuries were reported from the incident.

Law said he saw the men "I could see them from my window and they were paddling in circles out in the bay, drifting further away." He added, "I made a decision to go and check if they were OK." As he approached, he recognized their craft was "As I got closer I could see it was a small kids' dinghy." Law brought the men to a pier where, he said, "I got them back to the wee pier and they were met with towels and warm clothes."

The Kyle of Lochalsh RNLI launched a lifeboat from its station within 10 minutes of receiving the emergency call. The lifeboat returned to its station after the rescue.

Andrew MacDonald, the helm at Kyle RNLI, advised against using inflatable toys in open water. "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," MacDonald said.

Ross Macleod, the RNLI's water safety manager, offered advice for individuals in danger in the water. Macleod said, "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."