Busy period for RNLI Portpatrick Lifeboat
The Portpatrick RNLI Lifeboat, John Buchanan Barr, was launched on three consecutive days over a busy weekend.
On Saturday 15 July at 3:20pm the lifeboat was launched in response to a report from a member of public that a pink object was floating in the sea near to Dunskey Castle to the south of Portpatrick.
On arrival at the scene a pink helium balloon was found in the water. The volunteer crew decided that this was probably the object that had been reported, but continued to search the area. As nothing further was found, the lifeboat returned to Portpatrick Lifeboat Station at 3:40, the incident being judged to be a false alarm with good intent.
On Sunday 16 July the lifeboat was launched at 1:12 pm, after a request by Belfast Coastguard to respond to reports of a person collapsed on a cliff path ½ mile South of Killantringan Lighthouse.
A search of the area quickly located the casualty, and three volunteer crew members were put ashore with medical equipment on the lifeboat daughter craft to assess and treat the casualty.
After a medical assessment had been carried out it was decided that the best way to transfer the casualty was for local volunteers from HM coastguard to transport by their vehicle.
The casualty was brought to Portpatrick and handed over to the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service.
The crew of the daughter boat returned to the lifeboat which subsequently arrived Back at Portpatrick at 2:14 pm.
On Monday 17 July at 12:38 pm the Lifeboat was launched to assist in an ongoing search for a yacht which had been reported missing on Sunday after failing to arrive at Liverpool after leaving from Larne in Northern Ireland. After an extensive search the vessel was located near to Corsewall point. The vessel was then taken under tow to Stranraer, the lifeboat then returned to Portpatrick, arriving at approximately 4:10 pm.
Notes to editors
. For more information please contact Phil Bestjan, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07793 025793 or [email protected]
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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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