Donaghadee RNLI assist broken down fishing vessel with two people on board.
Donaghadee RNLI has brought two fishermen to safety this morning after their ten metre boat got into difficulty off the County Down coast writes Margaret Ramm, Donaghaghdee RNLI.
The volunteer lifeboat crew was alerted at 8.05am this morning (9 November), with Donaghadee RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat Saxon being launched under Coxswain Philip McNamara, at 8.07am.
The lifeboat launched at the request of Belfast Coastguard to assist a 10-metre fishing vessel with two people onboard. It was reported that the vessel had an overheating engine resulting in the boat breaking down approximately one mile south of Donaghadee.
Once on the scene at 8.24am, the lifeboat crew assessed that the two fishermen were safe and well before working with them to establish a tow line. The lifeboat then proceeded to return the fishing boat to Donaghadee Harbour.
Weather conditions at the time were described as blowing a north-westerly Force 2-3 wind with slight to moderate seas.
The lifeboat safely returned the fishing vessel to Donaghadee Harbour at 8.50am.
Speaking following the call out, Philip McNamara, Donaghadee RNLI Coxswain, said: “The skipper of the fishing vessel made a sensible decision in requesting assistance in good time this morning before there was any danger to life and we were happy to assist and be able to return both fishermen safely to harbour.
“We would remind anyone planning a trip to sea to always respect the water. Always wear a lifejackets, always have a means for calling and signalling for help, always check weather and tide times and make sure someone ashore knows where you are going and who to call if you don’t return on time.”
