Warning of dangers in water after father and son are rescued

Warning of dangers in water after father and son are rescued

11 May 2016

A FATHER and son were plucked from the freezing water of Strangford Lough last week after their inflatable dinghy became swamped.

Their cries for help prompted someone to alert the emergency services and when the Portaferry RNLI crew arrived at the scene soon after the alarm had been raised around 7pm, the duo had already been rescued by a local boat crew.

Last Friday night’s incident has prompted the RNLI to issue a warning about the dangers associated with people taking to open water in what they described as “dangerous craft.” 

The RNLI said the two men had a lucky escape, explaining their inflatable craft was fitted with an outboard engine and also showed signs of patching on the tube where a repair had been carried out. The two men were rescued from the water around three-and-a-half miles from the Portaferry lifeboat station.

The station’s operations manager, Brian Bailie, said the two men had a lucky escape, confirming if their cries for help had not been heard “this could have been an awful tragedy.”

He continued: “These types of craft are totally unsuitable for the open waters off our coast.  Conditions and tides can change at a moment’s notice and the sea must be respected.

“An inflatable dinghy which may be okay in a supervised indoor pool is not meant for the sea. In this case, the addition of the power from the attached outboard engine made an unsuitable craft even more dangerous.”

Mr Bailie appealed to people to be responsible and check that they are using the proper equipment when they take to the water.

He added: “Conditions on the lough were quite calm last Friday with a force three and a slight sea, yet these people ended up in serious trouble. Thankfully, they were wearing personal flotation devices but they spent some time in freezing cold water before their cries were heard and they were rescued.”

The RNLI’s comments have been echoed by Strangford MP Jim Shannon who has urged people to be vigilant before they go to sea.

He continued:  “Following last weekend’s rescue off Killyleagh, people need to be careful around Strangford Lough. As the good weather comes in and people rush to areas such as the lough, they need to be careful on boats and in the water making sure that safety is paramount and all checks should be done on boats before one sails out to sea. 

“The waters are cold and the tide is strong and one mistake could prove fatal. Be careful and make people aware ahead of time that you are going to on the lough, wear a life jacket and maintain telephone contact. Enjoy the sea and the great fun it has to offer, but always be sure to take extra care and caution.”