Portaferry RNLI launch to reports of paddleboarder in difficulty

Portaferry’s volunteer crew launched at 3:14pm in sunny weather conditions with good visibility and a force 5 north westerly wind direction.

The Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) arrived on scene at 3:24pm, the crew made a close approach and placed a crew member on to Guns Island to access the casualty. The casualty was beginning to suffer from mild hypothermia after having been in the water for some time prior to the lifeboat arriving on scene. The casualty was placed onboard the lifeboat and taken ashore at Ballyhornan Bay into the care of Portaferry Coastguard Rescue Team.

The lifeboat returned back to station and ready for service at 4:45pm.

Commenting on the call-out, Fergal Glynn Portaferry RNLI Helmsman said: ‘The casualty was wearing appropriate clothing and had made the right decision to make himself safe on the island once they had got into difficulty. We would urge anyone planning to spend time on the water to be careful of the conditions and particularly the wind direction, as offshore winds can prove difficult to fight against’.

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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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