RNLI rescues four sailers in yacht drama off Antrim coast

Around 6.30pm a volunteer crew from the RNLI responded to a call that one of the four people on board was suffering from sea-sickness - and that the vessel had sustained engine failure.

Weather conditions at the time were described as good with a Force 3 wind and a slight swell.

RNLI crew members from the inshore lifeboat boarded the stricken yacht to provide casualty care to the person suffering from seasickness individual, while the RNLI crew prepared the yacht for towing.

Due to the large size of the yacht, Larne RNLI’s inshore lifeboat assisted with manoeuvring the vessel in the confines of the marina.

Philip Ford-Hutchinson, Larne RNLI deputy launching authority said: “This call out was a great example of both our inshore and all-weather lifeboats working well together to assist the four people onboard the casualty vessel.

“The inshore lifeboat crew members were able to administer casualty care to the person who was seasick before assisting the all-weather crew with setting up a tow and then helping to manoeuvre the yacht in the tight confines of Carrick Marina. Our volunteer crew regularly train for scenarios like this and those skills and training were put to good use last night.”