Lifeboat crews involved in Irish Sea rescue exercise

Lifeboat crews involved in Irish Sea rescue exercise

7 August 2013

SIX RNLI lifeboats, including crews from Portaferry and Newcastle, took part in a major maritime exercise off the County Down coast at the weekend.

The lifeboats with a total of 34 crew had to respond to the staged rapid sinking of a small passenger vessel with 30 people onboard 15 miles out to sea.

The lifeboats tasked to respond came from Donaghadee, Portaferry, Newcastle, Peel, Port St. Mary and Port Erin.

The aim of the exercise was to test the effectiveness and familiarisation of search and rescue techniques with multiple lifeboats over a large scale area. Belfast Coastguard co-ordinated the exercise from their Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Bangor.

Newcastle RNLI Coxswain Mark Poland said: “This scenario is one we hope we never have to respond to, yet it’s vital we are prepared.

“Conditions were difficult at times, but that made it even more realistic. Every casualty was located and recovered onboard one of the six lifeboats.”

Gareth Morrison, RNLI Divisional Operations Manager, said: “These major search and rescue scenarios are of huge importance to the RNLI. Our lifeboat crews never stop training for every scenario and outcome.”