The volunteer lifeboat crew at Portaferry RNLI responded to a launch request from HM Coastguard on Saturday 30 April to go to the aid of two men on board a yacht which had run onto rocks in Strangford Lough.
The Portaferry Lifeboat, an inshore Atlantic 85, launched at 9.22am and the volunteer crew were quickly on scene at Long Rock just off East Down Yacht Club, Strangford Lough, County Down, at 9.32am.
The weather at the time was cloudy with good visibility, with a Force 3 north-westerly wind and a calm sea.
Once the volunteer RNLI crew from Portaferry arrived, they fixed a line to the 28-foot yacht and towed it off the rocks where it had become stranded.
Once the yacht was free, the two men on board proceeded to East Down Yacht Club accompanied by the Portaferry RNLI lifeboat crew who remained with the yacht until it was safely returned to the pontoons at the yacht club.
The volunteer RNLI crew then returned to station where Lifeboat Operations Manager Brian Bailie said: “It has been a busy few months for the crew in Portaferry and once again we are delighted to have been able to assist these two men who had run into some difficulty.
“We are now entering our most busy time of year for yachting and boating and we would urge everyone taking to the water to make sure that they prepare properly and check that all equipment is tested and in good working order.”
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