Enniskillen RNLI respond to two callouts in one afternoon at Castle Archdale
In a busy afternoon for Enniskillen RNLI, volunteer lifeboat crew came to the aid of a person who was knocked from their Whaley boat, followed by a callout to assist a cruiser struggling in challenging conditions in the Castle Archdale area.
The volunteer crew were requested to launch the station’s inshore lifeboat John and Jean Lewis and Rescue Watercraft at 4:30pm today Tuesday (27 July). A passer-by had called the coastguard after witnessing a person fall overboard with their unmanned vessel still underway.
The weather was choppy to rough with a strong westerly force 4/5 wind.
The casualty has been thrown off when the boat engine linkage broke. When the volunteer crew arrived, they found that the casualty had managed to get back onto his boat when it came to a halt. They had then returned back to shore and sought assistance.
A fire crew and ambulance took care of the casualty on shore as they had spent some time in the water.
On returning to the station, the volunteer crew spotted a cruiser facing difficulty in the challenging weather. There were two adults on board and a dog. After transferring a crewmember onto the vessel they were able to take command of the cruiser and safely navigate it back to Rossigh jetty. All on board were in good health but were a little shaken by the conditions.
Speaking following the callout, Enniskillen RNLI Helm Stephen Ingram said: ‘It is very easy for things to go wrong in rough weather. We would remind people to use safety equipment and make sure to the ‘kill cord’ is properly attached. Always bring a means of communication with you and make sure to check the weather forecast before heading out. We would also like to commend the individual on the shore who called the coastguard. When you spot something happening on the water the best thing to do is dial 999 and ask for the coastguard’
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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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