RNLI assist man thrown from boat

RNLI assist man thrown from boat

18 October 2017

CREW members from Portaferry RNLI went to the assistance of a man thrown from a small motor boat into Strangford Lough last Saturday morning.

The crew had been preparing for a training exercise when it received a call to go to the man’s assistance, with reports the boat he had been thrown from was spinning out of control.

The crew was heading for a location roughly half a mile from Dunnyneill Island in Strangford Lough when it received the call and arrived at the scene of the incident at 11am, with the weather reported to be cloudy with fair visibility, a force three southerly wind and calm sea conditions.

On arrival, the crew learnt the man had been thrown clear of the small dory when the craft had developed steering problems and started spinning in circles. He had subsequently been taken on board another boat which had been at the scene at the time and taken ashore by them.

With the help of other boats attending a sailing event in the area at the time, the Portaferry crew eventually brought the spinning craft under control, before attaching tow lines to the vessel and towing it back into Portaferry marina.