Portrush RNLI has a busy weekend

Portrush RNLI was requested to launch twice this weekend to reports of people in difficulty.

The first request by the Coastguard was on Saturday evening at 9.36 pm. The Inshore Lifeboat was launched to reports of a kayaker in difficulty at the Skerries. Visibility was excellent, with a calm sea and a light wind. The ILB quickly located the kayaker and established that he was very experienced and had taken all precautions, so all was well. A false alarm with good intent.

The second shout was on Sunday afternoon at 12.50pm. The All-weather Lifeboat was launched to reports of two people caught on a ledge at Giants Causeway. The ALB was requested to launch to assist the Coastguard with a medical evacuation if required. Again, weather conditions were good, with excellent visibility and a light North easterly wind. Before the ALB reached the scene, the local Coastguard team had located the two people and were able to carry out the rescue without assistance from the volunteer crew. The ALB was stood down and returned to station

Beni McAllister Lifeboat Operations Manager at Portrush RNLI said: -

‘This is our 4^th launch since Thursday for our volunteer crews and we have no doubt that this will be the pattern for the summer. However, it seems that people are heeding the safety message in terms of dialling 999 and alerting the Coastguard if they see something that doesn’t look right. We would rather be safe than sorry, especially as more and more people are enjoying our beautiful beaches.

More information can be downloaded from www.rnli.org/safety

Ends

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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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