Larne RNLI rescue eight over weekend

The charity’s volunteer lifeboat crew was first requested by Belfast Coastguard at 2.45pm on Saturday to go to the aid of a yacht which had got into difficulty and capsized on Larne Lough. Three people were reported to be in the water at the time.

The vessel, which was heading for Ballylumford Power station, couldn’t be uprighted and despite the efforts of an independent vessel, it couldn’t take the casualty under tow.

When Larne RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat arrived on scene, two of the people had been recovered from the water by a local boat while another had stayed with the yacht.

The lifeboat stood by as the vessel was then uprighted by two people from a local yacht club and taken under tow by the East Antrim Boat Club which brought it into the care of the local Coastguard team.

Weather conditions at the time were described as windy, force 7-8.

Over what turned out to be a busy weekend for the lifeboat station, Larne RNLI was requested for a second time on Sunday, at 1.30pm.

This time the request by the Coastguard was to go to the aid of a local fishing boat which had got into difficulty with five men onboard.

The vessel’s propeller had fouled after a line got caught on a lobster pot at the North Hunter Rock, approxiimately five miles from Larne.

The vessel was taken under tow by the all-weather lifeboat and brought to Maghermorne where Larne RNLI’s inshore lifeboat took over and brought the vessel the rest of the distance up the lough.

Weather conditions at the time were favourable with flat calm waters and good visibility.

Allan Dorman, Larne RNLI lifeboat operations manager, praised the efforts of his crew on both shouts.

“Thankfully everything went to plan with both teams working well in two different types of conditions and we were able to bring both vessels and their crews safely ashore,” he said.