Portaferry RNLI rescue a man and his dog onboard stricken yacht off County Down
A volunteer crew from Portaferry RNLI were paged this afternoon, Monday 12 March 2018, at just after 3.45pm to go to the aid of a man on board a 13-metre yacht which was experiencing engine problems.
The man was travelling from Bangor to Ardglass when his engine failed some six miles off the County Down coast west of Cloughey.
As the RNLI crew launched, the weather was sunny with good visibility, a slight north, north east wind and calm seas.
The crew launched at 3.55pm and arrived on scene with the casualty at 4.38pm.
Once there, one of the volunteer RNLI crew went on board the yacht with the man and a tow line was established to bring them back safely to Strangford.
The RNLI crew commenced towing at 4.45pm and finally reached the safety of the Strangford pontoons at 5.45pm where the man and his dog were returned safely ashore and the volunteer lifeboat crew returned to station ready for service.
Commenting on today’s rescue, Simon Rogers, Portaferry RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said, ‘The hard work and dedication of our volunteers has once again resulted in the safe return to shore of this man who was having trouble while at sea. He certainly took the right course of action calling for help once he realised that his engine was failing. We are all delighted with the outcome and urge anyone considering going on the water to take all necessary precautions. It has been a busy week for the voulnteers at this station with four shouts in the past week. Anyone who would like any information on safety on the water can find further details on our website www.rnli.org’
Ends
Photograph: Portaferry RNLI’s ‘Bluepeter V’ Atlantic 85 class lifeboat tows in stricken yacht to Strangford
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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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