Buckie fund-raiser winched to safety as bold Rockall bid ends
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A BUCKIE ex-pat's bold fund-raising bid on the remote island of Rockall has ended after he was evacuated by the Coastguard.
In addition to the aim of raising £50,000 for ABF, The Soldiers’ Charity and the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, Chris 'Cam' Cameron was hoping to break the 45-day endurance record on Rockall, which sits over 200 miles off the west coast of Scotland.
However, yesterday (Wednesday, June 28) – day 3o of his record bid – saw the decision made to extract him for his own safety as weather conditions continued to deteriorate.
A lot of Cam’s equipment was destroyed by the wind and waves, and on several occasions overnight, he was almost swept away.
Harry Brayford, expedition communications and shoreside manager, said “I spoke to Cam at 8.30am BST on Wednesday, and we discussed the forecast for the coming days.
"It was apparent Cam had suffered a really rough night, and we needed to make a quick decision on whether to abort the expedition or push on. We looked at a number of options to safely extract Cam if required, but it quickly became apparent the most appropriate option was for him to issue a ‘Mayday’ call, which was picked up by HM Coastguard at Stornoway.
"They have co-ordinated the rescue mission, and as well as deploying vessels in the immediate vicinity, they deployed both rotary and fixed wing Coastguard aircraft to assist him. He was winched onto the Coastguard helicopter just before 6pm BST, and then flown back to dry land.
"Our heartfelt thanks go to the crews of the HM Coastguard aircraft and all the vessels in the area that assisted. It’s disappointing to have to abort such an immense expedition, and whilst it was not an easy decision to make, it was the right one without question. I’ve spoken to Cam... and he’s in remarkably good spirits considering. He’s very much looking forward to a beer and a proper bed to sleep in.”
WATCH footage captured by a Poseidon from RAF Lossiemouth of Cam's precarious perch on Rockall HERE
Cam’s family added “We are hugely proud of all his achievements, but also that he had the courage to make what must have been a very difficult decision in the face of such dreadful weather.
"We are looking forward to welcoming him home and hope that any future adventures will be a little less risky. Why couldn’t he just have bought a sports car in the first place?”
Aaron Wheeler, documentary director of Rockall, The Edge of Existence which was following Cam’s adventure, added “We’re glad the cam is safely back on dry land and look forward to watching through the footage that Cam recorded during his occupation to tell the story of his adventure.”
Donations can still be made at https://www.justgiving.com/page/rockallexped
This incredible journey has been captured on film and will be part of a new documentary by Northern Heart Films in collaboration with Slick Films. Keep up to date with the documentary by visiting www.rockalldoc.com or following Instagram.com/rockalldoc
