Donaghadee RNLI volunteers rescued a man from the water in Donaghadee Harbour on Tuesday afternoon after reports he was struggling to stay afloat.
The volunteer crew was paged at 3.46 pm on 2 June by HM Coastguard following a call from a member of the public who spotted a dinghy adrift and a man clinging to a boat in the harbour. The witness also alerted a local fishing vessel. The fishing boat skipper and the member of the public attempted to recover the casualty but were unable to bring him aboard.
Senior Station Technician Iain Kaleda was carrying out routine maintenance aboard the Trent-class lifeboat *Macquarie* when the alarm was raised. His presence on board allowed the crew to respond immediately using the station's smaller boarding boat and quickly reach the casualty.
Once ashore, casualty care was provided by RNLI crew members Chris Stewart and John Petrie. The man was found to be suffering from the effects of cold-water immersion but remained conscious and alert.
He was taken to the lifeboat station, where volunteers continued to monitor and warm him. Additional support and advice were provided by the Coastguard Rescue Team. The casualty declined further medical treatment and later returned home independently.
Following the rescue, Senior Station Technician Iain Kaleda praised the swift actions of those who first raised the alarm. "We are all very relieved to have been able to help this gentleman so quickly and that he wasn't in the water for an extended length of time," he said.
"I must also commend the member of the public who spotted the casualty, and the local boat owner who jointly attempted to recover him. They acted correctly and swiftly."
Kaleda also reiterated the RNLI's safety message. "As always, we recommend wearing a lifejacket at all times when you are in and around a boat on the water. Thankfully, this had a successful outcome."
