TAYBIRD

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Pilot boat on fire

Two men were rescued from the "Taybird" after it caught fire while guiding a tanker up the Tay on June 5, 2014, at 4.50 a.m. The fire broke out in the engine of the pilot boat as it was passing Carnoustie on its way to the North Sea with the Swedish tanker "Pandion". Both the Broughty Ferry lifeboats were scrambled to the scene after the crew of the "Taybird", one of two pilot boats at Dundee's port, raised the alarm. The lifeboat from Broughty Ferry rescued the crew of the boat and towed it back to shore, where three fire engines were waiting. The "Pandion", an asphalt and bitumen tanker, paused in its voyage and was put on standby while the rescue was carried out. The fire was out by the time the offshore lifeboat "Elizabeth of Glamis" reached the scene, although smoke was still billowing from the vessel. The crew were transferred to the lifeboat and an RNLI crewman climbed aboard the Taybird while it was towed back to shore. Three fire engines were waiting on the quayside but were not needed. The pilot boat was to undergo a full inspection before being put back into service. Report with photo: http://rnli.org/NewsCentre/Pages/Broughty-Ferry-RNLI-lifeboats-assist-one-of-Dundee-Ports-pilot-boats.aspx