Bangor RNLI rescues two paddleboarders
At the end of a busy week for Bangor RNLI, volunteer crew launched to rescue two young paddleboarders who had got into difficulty just outside Ballyholme bay on Saturday (8 April 2017).
Launching just after 5pm following a call from the public, Bangor lifeboat Jessie Hillyard launched to rescue two young girls who had been caught out by an offshore wind that was causing them to drift further out to sea.
Although it was a beautiful afternoon, the girls hadn’t factored in the offshore wind, and this led to them getting more tired as they tried to return to base at Ballyholme Yacht Club.
Bangor RNLI lifeboat, helmed by Peter Semple, made light work of picking up the two girls and their boards and returning them to the slipway at Ballyholme Yacht Club, where they were passed into the care of HM Coastguard.
After the rescue, Peter said 'We are delighted to have been able to return the two girls to safety. They were both wearing wetsuits and buoyancy aids, and had just misjudged the offshore wind.'
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Situated on the shores of Belfast Lough, on the north east coast of Northern Ireland, Bangor lifeboat station has provided search and rescue cover for the area for over 50 years. The station operates a B class Atlantic 85 lifeboat
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