Newcastle RNLI had their third call of the week last night with volunteers involved in a three hour search operation after flares were sighted off the County Down coast.
Newly appointed Coxswain Alan Jones had the opportunity to put his RNLI training and skills to good use when he launched the lifeboat on service for a second time this week, last night (Thursday 18 February).
The volunteer lifeboat crew was requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat at 7.30pm following a request by Belfast Coastguard after flares were sighted from St John’s Point, in the Dundrum Bay area off Annalong.
The station’s all-weather lifeboat which only an hour earlier had returned from passage having undergone routine repairs, launched with six crew members on board.
Weather conditions were described as good with a light swell and little wind as the lifeboat made its way in the dark but clear night.
Once on scene some eight miles from the lifeboat station and three miles off Annalong, the crew conducted an intensive search for three hours. Nothing untoward was found and the lifeboat was stood down at 10pm.
Earlier this week, Newcastle RNLI was requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat at 5.52am on Tuesday (16 February) and go to the assistance of an injured crew member on a 70-foot fishing vessel 18 miles south west of the Isle of Man. The vessel was 25 miles south east of Newcastle.
On the first call out for Coxswain Alan Jones, the lifeboat launched at 6.05am. Weather conditions at the time were described as gusty with southerly Force 6 winds blowing and rough seas.
The casualty was airlifted by the Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116 from Dublin.
The crew were also in action on Saturday evening last (13 February) when they rescued four people after a 36-foot angling boat which suffered engine failure eight miles south east of St John’s Point. The vessel had been on passage from Howth to Carrickfergus when it started to experience some trouble and her crew called for assistance at approximately 7.30pm.
On this occasion, the lifeboat under Coxswain Aidan Riley and with five crew members on board launched within minutes and made its way to the scene some 16 nautical miles from the station.
Weather conditions at the time were described as fresh with rough seas and Force 5-6 winds blowing.
Once on scene an hour and 20 minutes later, the lifeboat crew assessed the situation and checked that everyone was alright. With no-one in any immediate danger, the lifeboat crew began to work with the angling crew to set up a towline.
The vessel was then taken under tow and brought safely back to Ardglass.
Speaking following what has been a busy period for the station, Alan Jones, Newcastle RNLI Coxswain said: “Our volunteer lifeboat and shore crew responded with great enthusiasm to all three call outs this week, one of which was in the early hours of the morning. They all volunteer to save lives at sea and are prepared to drop what they are doing to help anyone who may be in difficulty in the water.
“We would always encourage anyone who finds themselves in trouble or thinks someone maybe in difficulty to raise the alarm. We would always rather launch and find nothing untoward than not launch at all.”
