Paddleboarder with hip replacement completes 80km Loch Ness challenge to raise £1100 for RNLI
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An events organiser who took up paddleboarding ahead of a hip replacement has circumnavigated Loch Ness to raise hundreds of pounds for lifeboat services.
Morag Fraser, of Drumnadrochit, paddled the loch's 80km perimeter in a total of 17 hours over a series of stages.
She set herself the target of raising £1000 in aid of Loch Ness RNLI but has already exceeded that with a total of £1100 so far.
The 51-year-old took up paddleboarding four years ago just before undergoing a hip replacement and says it helped with her rehabilitation
Mrs Fraser, of Caledonian Concepts, has also been hailed as a great example of how to enjoy the water safely.
She began her loch perimeter paddle on Friday May 12 and carried out it out in stages depending on the conditions.
The Loch Ness RNLI station chairman, Allan Durning was joined by volunteer lifeboat crew volunteer and Mrs Fraser's crucial support crew husband Graham and their dog Merlin, to celebrate her final seventh stage.
She urged others to "get out there and do it" and make sure they have the correct safety gear and paddle within their limits.
"I had no expectations," she said.
"I knew it would be hard and it was important to choose the paddle days when the weather (wind) suited my ability."
She is now joining the fundraising crew at RNLI Loch Ness.
The RNLI’s summer safety campaign has highlighted that the number of rescues of paddleboarders has risen considerably as more people enjoy the sport but do not always take adequate safety precautions.
Laura Erskine, the RNLI's water safety education manager for Scotland, said Morag was a wonderful exemplar of the campaign.
"The RNLI noted a significant increase last year in incidents involving paddleboards around Scotland, with a high number of people being blown or swept out to sea.'
"The RNLI has some simple and effective advice – wear a buoyancy aid, carry a phone in a waterproof pouch, wear the correct leash, and avoid offshore winds.
"If you end up in the water unexpectedly or are in trouble in the water without your board, then float on your back."
Anyone wishing to give a donation for Mrs Fraser's challenge, can do so at /www.justgiving.com/morag-fraser.
Loch Ness lifeboat station is crewed by volunteers who provide a 24 hour search and rescue service. It is based at Urquhart Bay, Drumnadrochit.
