Busy summer in local waters for RNLI vessels

The call-outs were to a variety of incidents, including a man in trouble in the water, drifting vessels and false alarms with good intent.

On Saturday June 28 the inshore lifeboat launched at 2.20pm to help administer first aid to a man taken ill on Brown’s Bay beach. It brought the casualty ashore into the care of the PSNI and ambulance service.

This was followed by an incident on Saturday July 12 when the inshore lifeboat launched at 8.02am to reports of a small grey tender drifting south from Muck Island.

On Monday July 14 the inshore lifeboat responded to a kayaker struggling off Skernoghan Point at Islandmagee, while on July 15 the inshore lifeboat was launched to Browns Bay at 5.11pm to what was thought to be two people in the water after a small boat had sank. After the area was searched it appeared that two lobster buoys had been mistaken for two persons in a false alarm with good intent.

Then, on July 20, Larne all-weather lifeboat was diverted to a broken down 32-foot sailing boat with two people on board in Ballygally bay at 11.12am.

Meanwhile, on July 22, the inshore lifeboat was launched on service at 12.40am to a man reported to be in the water. In the latest incident on July 25 the inshore lifeboat was launched amid reports of a 27-foot Bayliner broken down in Ballygally Bay with two people onboard. There was no serious injury or loss of life due to these incidents, and the lifeboat crew brought several people to safety.

RNLI volunteer crew member Pamela Dorman said: “It has been a very busy time for the lifeboat crew in Larne and each call out has been different. We never know what will meet us when we launch at all hours of the day and night but we are prepared for everything.”