THE Portaferry RNLI responded to a mayday call about a converted fishing trawler in Ringhaddy Sound in Strangford Lough.
The alarm was raised xa0last night xa0(Saturday 24 August) by the crew of a nearby yacht who reported the incident to HM Coastguard when they two men and two women on board an 80-foot converted fishing trawler which had lost all power and was taking on water.
[caption id="attachment_40601" align="alignright" width="390"]
The Portaferry lifeboat had another call out as a former trawler was sinking in Strangford Lough.[/caption]Portaferry RNLI received the call atxa07.50pmxa0and the volunteer crew launched promptly atxa07.57pmxa0arriving at the scene atxa08.12pm.
The sea at the time was calm with no wind and good visibility.
When the lifeboat crew arrived at the vessel, one man and one woman had already transferred to the neighbouring yacht. xa0The lifeboat crew then requested a salvage pump to help pump the water from the stricken boat which was totally without power.
A local vessel from Portaferry lent assistance by taking a pump to the lifeboat crew and they met half way between Portaferry and Ringhaddy.
The volunteer crew then, with the assistance of the crew of the yacht who had called in the alert, manoeuvred the converted trawler onto the pontoons at Ringhaddy.
The Lifeboat crew then remained with the owner of the converted trawler while the water was pumped out and the four people originally on board were put safely ashore.
Brian Bailie, volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager at Portaferry RNLI said:xa0‘We would like to pass on our thanks to everyone who helped bring this mayday call to a safe conclusion.
“The prompt actions of everyone involved resulted in a positive outcome and the volunteer RNLI crew for the second time in as many days helped to avert a potentially very serious situation.”
Check out the previous Portaferry RNLI rescue at:
http://www.downnews.co.uk/portaferry-rnli-rescues-two-people-stranded-on-island/
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