Portaferry Lifeboat, Blue Peter V, requested to launch by Belfast CGOC following a request for assistance from a 23ft fishing vessel located off Darragh Island, Strangford Lough.   Propellor fouled by a rope and unable to anchor.  One adult male on board.

Portaferry Lifeboat launched on service and quickly located the casualty vessel aground close to Darragh Island.

Casualty vessel taken under tow by the lifeboat which then proceeded to a pontoon at Strangford Lough Yacht Club where one person was landed to safety ashore.

Portaferry Lifeboat returned to station at 15:13

Whilst the crew of Portaferry Lifeboat were on exercise in their Blue Peter V lifeboat they were requested by the local Portaferry Coastguard team to search for a flare box that had floated off a recently sunken schooner.

The schooner, the Regina Caelis, had previously been berthed alongside the Cook Street quay of Portaferry for many months but had sunk a few days earlier resulting in debris being washed away on each high tide.

Following an extensive search by the lifeboat crew nothing was found and the lifeboat returned to station at 20:20

The Operations Manager of Portaferry Lifeboat received information from a member of the public that they had seen a white flashing light in the Strangford Narrows.  

On contacting the Belfast CGOC the Operations Manager was advised that the operations centre had also received a similar report.

Portaferry Lifeboat was launched on service in squally F7 SSE winds and commenced a search of the Strangford Narrows.

Portaferry Coastguard shore team reported that they had recovered a lifejacket with a flashing light south of the Cook Street Quay.

Portaferry Lifeboat was stood down and returned to station at 18:10

Belfast CGOC received a call on CH16 for assistance from a dive RhIB in the Strangford Narrows, off Strangford Village, with engine failure and at anchor. Six persons on board.

Portaferry Lifeboat launched on service.

After the lifeboat crew had assisted in recovering the RhIB's anchor the casualty vessel was taken under to tow by the lifeboat back to Strangford Village where 6 persons were landed to safety ashore.

Portaferry Lifeboat returned to station at 12:15

Portaferry Lifeboat crew had returned from a training exercise and the lifeboat was on its recovery trolly when a station Deputy Lunching Auuthority received a request from Belfast CGOC to assist a 4m RhIB in the Strangford Narrows with engine problems. 4 persons on board.

Portaferry Lifeboat crew quickly located the casualty vessel 2nm from the Station and brought the 4 persons from the RhIB on board the lifeboat.  The casualty vessel was then taken under tow to Strangford Village where 4 persons were landed to safety ashore.

Portaferry Lifeboat returned to Station at 17:25

Portaferry Lifeboat crew paged by Belfast CGOC following a request for assistance from a 6m cabin cruiser which had experienced electrical failure and was aground on Salt Island, in the Quoile River estuary, after landing 3 persons on the neighbouring Green Island.   

Portaferry Lifeboat launched on service and on arrival at Salt Island took 4 persons on board the lifeboat and landed them to safety at Killyleagh.

Portaferry Lifeboat returned to Green Island and took 3 persons on board and landed them to safety at Killyleagh.

Portaferry Lifeboat returned to station at 12:00

Portaferry Lifeboat launched on service following a report to Belfast CGOC of a 7 metre yacht in difficulty in heavy weather off Don O'Neill Island in Strangford Lough. 5 persons on board.

Yacht escorted to safety in sheltered waters at Ringhaddy Sound.

Portaferry Lifeboat returned to station at 21:25

Portaferry Lifeboat requested to launch following a report of a possible missing person at Strangford Sailing Club, Castleward Bay, Strangford Lough.

Portaferry Lifeboat crew commenced a sea search of the area.

Portaferry and Newcastle Coastguard teams and the PSNI commenced a shoreline search.

With nothing found Portaferry Lifeboat was stood down and returned to station at 13:20.

Portaferry Lifeboat requested to launch by Belfast CGOC following the report of a female on the shore near Killyleagh, Strangford Lough, with a suspected broken arm.

Portaferry Lifeboat launched on service and on arrival with the casualty guided the ambulance and Coastguard teams to her location.

Following the casualty being transferred to the ambulance Portaferry Lifeboat returned to station at 15:45

Crew paged following reports of an unidentified floating object seen in the Strangford Narrows.

Object found to be an adrift mooring and recovered by a passing yacht.

Launch cancelled and crew stood down..

Portaferry Lifeboat launched on service following communications between Belfast CGOC and a 8m yacht located 9.5nm off the entrance to Strangford Lough reporting engine failure. One person on board.

Portaferry Lifeboat crew located the casualty vessel and one crewman was put aboard to assist in taking the vessel under tow to Portaferry Marina where one person was landed to safety ashore.

Portaferry Lifeboat returned to Station at 18:30

Portaferry Lifeboat crew had gathered at the lifeboat station in preperation for the station's 'Open Day' when one of the lifeboat helms noticed that a 6m skiff like sailing vessel had capsized off the Walter Rocks.

Following this information the station's LOM instructed that the lifeboat should be launched to assist.   It was believed that the casualty vessel had been under tow by a yacht at that time.

On arrival with the casualty vessel it was quickly established by the lifeboat crew that there had been no persons on board the casualty.

It was then ascertained that a salvage pump was required to save the casualty vessel from sinking but this was held ashore at the lifeboat station.  

At that time Newcastle Lifeboat was arriving off the lifeboat station in support of the station's 'Open Day' and diverted to provide their on-board salvage pump to keep the casualty vessel afloat. During this proceedure Portaferry Lifeboat crew then started to gather up various floating debris from the casualty vessel.

Following this the casualty vessel was once again taken under tow by the yacht.

Portaferry lifeboat then returned to station at 12:30.

Portaferry Lifeboat, 'Blue Peter V', launched on service following a request by Belfast CGOC reporting that four persons (2 adults and 2 children) were stranded on Rough Island, Strangford Lough.

Portaferry Lifeboat launched on service and 4 persons landed to safety ashore with HM Coastguard in attendance.

Portaferry Lifeboat returned to station at 17:50.

Portaferry Lifeboat launched on service at the request of Belfast CGOC following reports that 4 youths were in difficulty off Cloughey after their dinghy had engine problems and they had drifted offshore.

Portaferry and Bangor coastguard teams also tasked to search the shoreline.

Whilst on passage to the area it was reported that a local vessel had brought the youths to safety ashore.

Portaferry Lifeboat stood down and returned to Station at 20:30

Lifeboat crew paged following Belfast CGOC having received a report from a local coastguard officer reporting a 6m motor vessel broken down in the Strangford Narrows.

Portaferry Lifeboat launched on service and on arrival with the casualty vessel found it to be hard aground after running out of fuel with another small boat alongside taking the crew of 2 off the casualty which subsequently returned them to Portaferry from where they had departed earlier in the day..  

Portaferry Lifeboat returned to Station at 13:00

Lifeboat crew paged by Belfast CGOC following a request for assistance from a 10m motor vessel that had broken down in the Strangford Narrows. 2 persons on board.

Portaferry Lifeboat launched on service and located the casualty vessel approx 2.3 nm South of Portaferry. Vessel was taken under tow to Portaferry Marina where 2 persons were landed to safety ashore.

Portaferry Lifeboat returned to Station at 16:20

Portaferry Lifeboat launched on service and quickly located the casualty vessel close to the shore with two occupants in the water trying to keep the vessel off the shore wall.

Two of the lifeboat crew then entered the water to assist and connected a tow line. One of the vessel's crew reboarded the casualty vessel whilst the other remained ashore.

With a towline secured the two lifeboat crew members reboarded the lifeboat and the casualty vessel was towed to the pontoon at Strangford Lough Yacht Club.

Portaferry Lifeboat returned to Station at 12:45

Portaferry Lifeboat launched on service following a request by Belfast CGOC to assist a 10m yacht off Ardglass with a fouled propeller. 3 persons on board.

Newcastle Lifeboat (ALB) also launched on service.

Following the arrival of both lifeboats with the casualty vessel, Newcastle Lifeboat assisted in freeing the yacht's propeller from a creel line and then took the yacht under tow to Ardglass with Portaferry Lifeboat providing a stern line when entering the harbour.

3 persons landed to safety ashore with the assistance of local coastguard team.

Portaferry Lifeboat returned to station at 23:35

Portaferry Lifeboat Blue Peter V launched on service at the request of Belfast CGOC to assist a 30ft motorboat off Ballydornan, Strangford lough, reported to have an engine fire.  Four persons on board.

On arrival with the casualty vessel, which was then on a mooring with a Whiterock rescue boat in attendance, it was ascertained that the suspected engine fire had been caused by a detached engine exhaust pipe.

Portaferry Lifeboat remained with the casualty vessel until there was no further danger and returned to Station at 13:19.

Portaferry Lifeboat Blue Peter V launched on service at the request of Belfast CGOC following a request to assist a 28ft yacht off the Long Sheelagh, Strangford Lough with a crew member who had sustained a head injury. 3 persons on board.

On arrival with the casualty vessel the injured crew member and another crew member of the yacht were taken aboard the lifeboat.  Whilst one of the lifeboat crew administerd first aid the casualty was taken by the lifeboat to a pontoon at Ringhaddy and handed into the care of the ambulance service.

Portaferry Lifeboat returned to Station at 16:57

Portaferry Lifeboat requested to launch by Belfast CGOC to assist a 33ft yacht in position 4.5nm SE of the Strangford Bar Buoy reporting engine failure. 2 persons on board.

On locating the casualty vessel the lifeboat crew ascertained that the engine failure had been caused by a blocked engine cooling water pump.  

After establishing a tow line from the lifeboat to the casualty vessel it was taken under tow to Portaferry Marina where two persons were landed to safety ashore.

Portaferry returned to station at 16:20

Portaferry lifeboat tasked by Belfast CGOC to to assist a 32ft catamaran located between Don O'Neill and the Long Sheelagh in Strangford Lough with engine failure  3 persons on board..

Vessel taken under tow to Whiterock.

Portaferry Lifeboat returned to station at 17:30

Portaferry Lifeboat launched on service following a 999 call by a member of the public to Belfast CGOC reporting persons stranded on Rough Island, Strangford Lough.

On arrival at Rough Island the lifeboat crew reported that those stranded were an adult male, two children and a dog.

It was decided to take the two children aboard the lifeboat.

Difficulties were experienced by the lifeboat crew in getting the dog aboard the lifeboat which had become agressive.  Following transfer to the lifeboat the dog settled down and the adult male was then taken aboard the lifeboat.

Portaferry Lifeboat proceeded to Island Hill where 3 persons and their dog were landed to safety ashore with a Bangor Coastguard team in attendance.

Portaferry Lifeboat returned to station at 17:35

Portaferry Lifeboat, Blue Peter V, launched on service at the request of Belfast CGOC following a report of a capsized dinghy and a person waving for help on Green Island, Strangford Lough.

On the arrival of Portaferry Lifeboat at Green Island it was confirmed by the crew that the male casualty's dinghy had floated off the island and that no other persons were involved.

Casualty taken on board the lifeboat and landed to safety at Killyleagh Yacht Club.

Portaferry Lifeboat returned to station at 12:39

(Dinghy later recovered by members of the public after washing ashore at Killyleagh)

Portaferry Lifeboat crew were in the lifeboat station preparing for a training exercise when the LOM received a phone call from a member of the crew on a boat in Strangford Lough reporting that a dory off Don O'Neill Island, Strangford Lough, was going round in circles with nobody on board. Belfast CGOC advised of the incident.

Portaferry Lifeboat, Blue Peter V, launched on service and on arrival off Don O'Neill there were other boats in the area at a sailing event. The dory was going round in circles at approximately 10 to 15 knots.

Photo: Portaferry RNLI

After ascertaining that nobody was in the water the lifeboat crew were able to temporarially stop the dory with the assistance of a lifeboat crew member (who was in the area on another boat) by the use of a long rope secured between both vessels.  This attempt was initially successful but the dory slipped the snagging line and began to spin out of control again.

A further attempt to stop the dory was then made by another boat travelling in a counter clockwise direction to the dory by using a long rope attached to a bouy.  

This proved successful in snagging the dory's propellor and brought the dory to a halt enabling the dory to be boarded and its engine stopped.

A line was then attached to the dory and it was taken under tow by the lifeboat to Portaferry Marina.

Portaferry Lifeboat returned to station at 11:55.

Note: Prior to the arrival of the Portaferry Lifeboat the person on board the dory had been picked up from the water by another boat after he had been thrown overboard due to an unexpected sharp turn when a steering fault occurred.