Bangor RNLI in Northern Ireland launched to the aid of two people last week in two separate incidents on a single day.
At 10.46am on Tuesday (23 July), the volunteer crew launched their new Atlantic 85 class lifeboat Ruby Robinson for her maiden call-out following a request from Belfast Coastguard to assess a situation where a sailing boat with one person onboard had broken down at sea just off Stricklands Glen and was in difficulty.
The weather at the time was dry, slightly overcast with a moderate sea state and little breeze. The sky was clear and visibility was good.
The crew made their way to the scene and located the casualty vessel. They then spoke to the person onboard and found them to be safe and well and wearing a lifejacket.
The crew assessed the situation and made a decision to tow the vessel to a mooring in Ballyholme Bay as the casualty vessel had no means of propulsion. The crew safely left the sailing boat on the mooring.
During the wash-down of the lifeboat, the crew heard a Mayday call from another boat advising Belfast Coastguard that they appeared to have smoke in the cabin and thought the vessel had a fire in the engine bay.
The crew and shore teams immediately prepared to relaunch Ruby Robinson. Belfast Coastguard paged the crew at 12.10pm requesting assistance for the motorboat's crew reported to be a quarter of a mile off the Eisenhower Pier.
The crew launched at 12.11pm and then made best speed towards the casualty boat to provide assistance. The casualty motor boat was then escorted to the Eisenhower Pier where she was met by members of HM Coastguard and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.
It was ascertained by the fire service that there was no fire and the smoke was a result of coolant leaking onto hot pipework in the engine compartment. The lifeboat was then stood down.
Speaking following the call-outs, Bangor RNLI helm Russell McGovern said: “The boat owners on both occasions did exactly the correct thing by calling us out to help, which we were only too happy to do.
“Fire at sea is life threatening and can escalate quickly if it is not dealt with correctly. The crew made the right decision to keep the suspect compartment sealed shut to starve the suspected fire of any oxygen, and call for immediate assistance. The fire service were quickly able to establish that there was no fire and it was safe to inspect the compartment.
“Thanks to our colleagues in the other agencies for their timely, professional and friendly assistance.
“We would urge all boat owners to carry out regular maintenance checks on our vessel. Carry fire extinguishers and spare parts if possible and ensure that you have a means for calling for assistance if you find yourself in trouble.
“If you see someone in trouble on the water or are in difficulties yourself do not hesitate to call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.”
