Larne RNLI came to the aid of a man who was drifting out to sea on an inflatable dinghy on Monday afternoon (15 July).
The volunteer crew were requested to launch their inshore D class lifeboat at 1.15pm at the request of Belfast Coastguard after a member of the public raised the alarm when they saw a small dinghy drifting a mile offshore from Ballygally Beach.
Weather conditions at the time on Northern Ireland’s East Antrim coast were good with a fresh south to south-easterly breeze.
Larne Coastguard was initially tasked and on proceeding to the scene and seeing how far the dinghy had been swept out, requested the assistance of the RNLI crew.
Helmed by Willie Evans and with Shea McFerran and Rachel Maybin onboard, the lifeboat made way to the scene, guided to the location by the shore-based coastguard team.
On arrival, the lifeboat crew observed that the casualty — who was wearing a buoyancy aid and carry a means of communication in a waterproof pouch — had entered the water.
They proceeded to take him from the sea and bring him safely onboard the lifeboat. He was cold but otherwise safe and well. The crew then deflated the dinghy before returning the casualty to shore and into the care of the coastguard team.
Speaking following the call-out, Larne RNLI helm Willie Evans said: “We would like to wish the casualty well and commend the member of the public for raising the alarm; that is always the right thing to do. The casualty had drifted considerably out to sea so time is always of the essence in these situations.
“As the summer continues and people enjoy a wide variety of activities on the water, we would like to remind everyone that while inflatables can be great fun, they are not designed for the beach as they can easily get swept out to sea.
“If you do bring your inflatable, choose a lifeguarded beach, use it close to the shore and between the red and yellow flags. If you do get into difficulty or see someone else in trouble, call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.”
