Rescue after 46-ft vessel runs aground in Ardglass

Rescue after 46-ft vessel runs aground in Ardglass

18 September 2024

TWO crew members were airlifted to safety during a dramatic incident at Ardglass harbour just after midnight on Saturday after a trawler ran aground.

The 46-foot vessel – which subsequently sank – hit rocks close to the harbour entrance sparking a major response by the emergency services.

A Coastguard helicopter winched the men to safety as the Isle of Man vessel took on water with Portaferry RNLI also part of the emergency services response.

Given the weather conditions of high winds and a rough sea, the RNLI crew was unable to respond at the scene, with the Coastguard helicopter despatched from Caernarfon in Wales to bring the men ashore.

Portaferry’s inshore lifeboat, Blue Peter V, was quickly launched with helm Paul Mageean and crew members Chris Adair, Ros Watret and Paddy Lowry onboard.

Arriving at Ardglass harbour, the 46ft fishing vessel was high aground and listing and the decision was taken to bring the two crew members to safety.

On assessing the vessel’s position, the lifeboat crew noted there was only one safe angle of approach but that it would leave a considerable height difference between the casualty vessel and lifeboat. 

Taking the situation and the weather conditions and sea state at the time into account, a decision was made to request the assistance of a Coastguard helicopter.

A short time later both crew members were winched onboard the helicopter from Wales and transferred to a nearby landing site where they were met by members of Newcastle Coastguard team.

The Coastguard team set up a landing site for the helicopter which landed the uninjured crew into its care.

Portaferry lifeboat departed the scene at 2.05am and arrived back in Portaferry at 2.55am.

Portaferry’s RNLI helm Chris Mageean said the vessel’s crew did the right thing in calling for help. 

“The poor weather conditions and the darkness of the night made for a challenging situation but we train for scenarios like this which always help us to assess and decide upon the best option to bring those onboard to safety,” he continued.

“We would like to thank our colleagues from the Coastguard who on arrival, winced the casualties and brought them ashore.”

Mr Mageean said crew members who responded to their pagers are volunteers who have given their time to train for this particular role.

“They respond to call outs ensuring they have the knowledge and skills to complete challenging tasks with professionalism and without delay,” he remarked.

“Our crew on the lifeboat did their job and there were also several people waiting for us in the station. These shore crew also volunteer their time willingly to make these launches happen safely.”

Mr Mageean said people should always be mindful of the weather and tide times before venturing out on the water. 

“Always carry a means of calling for help and wear a suitable floatation device for your activity,” he said.

“If you get into difficulty or see someone else in trouble, call 999 immediately and ask for the Coastguard.”

Newcastle Coastguard has thanked the local landowner who allowed the helicopter landing site to be set up  on his land.

On Friday evening, Newcastle Coastguard and Newcastle RNLI went to the aid of the crew of a sailing dinghy that got into difficulties off the town’s harbour.

The crew members had difficulty righting the dinghy after it capsized.

The RNLI launched its inshore lifeboat which brought the dinghy and its crew back to the harbour and into the care of the Coastguard team. No one required medical attention, with the incident co-ordinated by Belfast Coastguard.