The volunteer lifeboat crew at Portaferry RNLI launched this afternoon, Tuesday 8th March, to the aid of two men stranded on Boretree Island, just off the coast at Mount Stewart in Strangford Lough, County Down.
The two men were on a camping trip to the island and had paddled out to set up their tent. When they returned to where they had landed their kayak, they found that it had drifted off in the tide.
Waving a flag to attract attention, the two men were spotted by walkers on the mainland shore who contacted the Coastguard who subsequently requested the Portaferry RNLI launch to rescue the unfortunate campers.
The weather at the time was good, slightly cloudy with a slight force 3 wind. Visibility was good and sea conditions were also fairly calm.
The volunteer crew of the Portaferry lifeboat, an Inshore Atlantic 85, launched at 12.40pm and were quickly on scene where they transferred the two men into the lifeboat.
They were then taken safely to shore at Newtownards Sailing Club before the lifeboat crew returned to station ready for service at 2.05pm.
Brian Bailie, Lifeboat Operations Manager for the Portaferry RNLI Station, said: “We are delighted to once again have been able to provide assistance to members of the public who found themselves in trouble at sea.
“ With its fast flowing currents and tides, Strangford Lough can at times catch out even the most experienced. The Lough has for a long time and will for the foreseeable future be a real draw for water enthusiasts and we at Portaferry RNLI are always ready to provide assistance when required.”
