#RNLI - The volunteer lifeboat crew at Portaferry RNLI were called out yesterday evening (Thursday 9 July) in response to a call to the emergency services.
A member of the public had reported that a small sailing boat, a Topper with two people on board, appeared to be in difficulty in the vicinity of Don O’Neill Island near Killyleagh, Co Down.
The volunteer crew of the Portaferry lifeboat were paged just before 7.00pm and the RNLI lifeboat, an inshore Atlantic 85, was launched at 7.07pm. At the time the weather was fine with good visibility, a gentle swell and slight breeze.
The RNLI crew arrived on scene at 7.12pm where the two sailors, an adult woman and a teenage boy, had taken the small sailing boat out of the water on to the island where they were waiting for the tide to turn. Both were unharmed and properly equipped wearing lifejackets and wetsuits.
As the wind was starting to pick up strength, the two sailors agreed to return to Portaferry Marina with the volunteer RNLI crew and were subsequently taken onboard the lifeboat with their small boat before being safely put ashore at the marina at 7.38pm.