Third call out in 24 hours for Portaferry RNLI as crew bring kayak ashore
Portaferry RNLI launched for the third time in 24hrs this evening, to bring a kayak that had drifted off Slanes Bay off Cloughey to shore to prevent it being a risk to others.
A member of the public raised the alarm shortly before 7.30pm this evening (Wednesday 20 July) after observing two children abandon a kayak when they got out of their depth in the water and decided to return to shore. To prevent someone else going back for the drifting kayak, the caller contacted the Coastguard.
Portaferry RNLI’s volunteer crew launched promptly at 7.28pm (Wednesday 20 July) and made their way to Slanes Bay.
The lifeboat launched in good weather conditions with good visibility, smooth sea state and a Force 4 northerly wind.
The volunteer crew located the kayak one mile off Slanes Bay at 8.05pm. At this point the weather was Force 3 with good visibility and a slight sea state. The crew brought the kayak onboard the lifeboat and proceeded back to Cloughey beach and transferred the kayak back into the care of the Portaferry Coastguard rescue team.
Tonight's call out was also the first call out for crew member Jessie Brown.
Commenting on the call out, Portaferry RNLI Helm Chris Adair, said: ‘Thankfully we were able to assist in bringing the kayak safely back to shore without it posing a danger to others. Given the good weather, there are a lot more people around and on the water, we would like to share the message that if you are going on or near the water to always carry a means of calling for help, always wear a lifejacket and other appropriate protection and always check the weather and tides before going to sea. Should you get into difficulty or see someone else in trouble, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.'
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