Kilkeel RNLI in Northern Ireland rescued two young paddleboarders on Sunday afternoon (21 September) after they got blown out to sea by strong offshore winds and an ebbing tide at Warrenpoint, Co Down.
The inshore lifeboat was requested to launch by Belfast Coastguard at 4.20pm and the volunteer crew, including Helm Aidan Rooney with Gary Young, Neal Forsythe and Mark McBride onboard, made their way to the scene.
There was a fresh breeze at the time, with 15 knots of winds blowing off Warrenpoint and an ebbing tide.
Approaching the scene and with the assistance of Kilkeel Coastguard’s shore team who had eyes on the casualties, the lifeboat crew spotted the two on an inflatable paddleboard some 1-2 miles out from Warrenpoint inside Carlingford Lough.
It emerged that the paddleboard had been picked up by the wind and tide and swept out to sea.
Arriving on scene, the crew proceeded to rescue and transfer the two casualties onto the lifeboat. Casualty care was immediately administered as both were extremely cold, and the priority was to keep them warm as the lifeboat made its way back to Town Dock in Warrenpoint. Once there, both casualties were handed into the care of Kilkeel Coastguard.
Speaking following the call-out, Kilkeel RNLI helm Aidan Rooney said: “We would like to wish the young casualties a speedy recovery following their ordeal yesterday. The wind and tide caused the paddleboard to drift out to sea and when we reached them, both were really cold, so we worked to get them warm until we returned to shore.
“We would remind anyone planning a trip or activity at sea to go prepared. Check weather and tides before venturing out, always wear a lifejacket or suitable flotation device and always carry a means of communication.
“If you get into difficulty or see someone else in trouble, call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.”
