Portrush RNLI launches twice within an hour
Both Portrush RNLI lifeboats were launched within an hour of each other to incidents on the north coast this afternoon (Wednesday 24 February)..
Initially, the volunteer crew were requested to launch the all-weather lifeboat by Belfast Coastguard at 12.36pm in response to reports of a surfer in difficulty at Castlerock.
While en route, the crew received notification that the surfer had made it back to the beach unaided and all was well.
As they were returning to station, they were requested again, to reports of two people who had been swept off the rocks between Portrush and Portstewart.
The all-weather crew requested the inshore lifeboat launch as the casualties were reported to be close to the rocks which that class of lifeboat is more suited to.
Conditions and visibility were good.
However, before the inshore lifeboat arrived on scene, the two people were able to get onto the rocks without assistance from the volunteer lifeboat crews.
Beni McAllister, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Portrush RNLI said: 'Although both lifeboats were launched and were stood down on both call outs, we would ask that if people feel that there is someone in difficulty in the sea, that they dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard. We have said this before, but our crews would rather be safe than sorry.’
For more coastal safety information go to rnli.org/safety
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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 over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, 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 142,700 lives.
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