Fisherman is grateful after RNLI rescue

Fisherman is grateful after RNLI rescue

16 October 2013

A FISHERMAN who was plucked from the sea last month after his boat sank has thanked the Portaferry RNLI crew who rescued him.

Samuel Cully also owes his life to a revolutionary new life jacket — the Mullion Compact 150n — which has been specially designed for use on fishing boats.

Mr. Cully was in the water for 45 minutes after his vessel sank on September 18 off the coast of Co. Down in rough seas.

RNLI lifeboats from Portaferry and Donaghadee were launched within minutes of a May Day being received by the Coast Guard, while the Irish Coast Guard helicopter was also tasked to the scene.

Mr. Cully, who is based in Portavogie, was recently reunited with the volunteer RNLI crew at Portaferry who rescued him, to say thanks.

Just weeks before his boat sank, Mr. Cully had been provided with a personal flotation device (PFD) in a grant-aided scheme run by the Fishermen’s Mission. The project aims to ensure that fishermen will receive a grant-aided life jacket and the training required to ensure its proper use.

Funding for the scheme was provided by Seafish, the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development, the European Fisheries Fund, the Northern Ireland Fish Producers Organisation, RNLI, Maritime Coastguard Agency and supermarket Asda.

Frankie Horn, RNLI Fishing Safety Manager for the UK and Ireland, said it was great that Samuel was safe and back with his family.

“We want fishermen to see the benefits of wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) or lifejacket and for them to wear it voluntarily,” he said.

Mr. Horn added: “This will be an ongoing process for us, talking to fishermen and working with the manufacturers to ensure that the PFDs provided are the best possible design for the fishing industry.”

With the funding and logistics generously covered by other agencies, the RNLI was involved in leading the safety training session, an act Mr. Cully is immensely grateful for.

He added: “I was only able to swim five or ten metres or so and even then the wind and swell were washing me away from the shore.

“The boat went down so quickly and I was so relieved to find the lifejacket doing exactly what I was told it would do. I cannot thank all those organisations involved enough.”