Six rescued in dramatic seven-hour operation after yacht hits fish farm off Antrim

Six sailors have been rescued by the RNLI after a dramatic seven-hour overnight rescue in gale-force conditions off the coast of Cushendall.

The volunteer crew from Red Bay RNLI were called at 3.22am on Saturday, 12 September, after Belfast Coastguard picked up a Mayday call from a 46ft yacht. The vessel, which was making a passage from Oban in Scotland down to Portugal, collided with a fish farm in Red Bay amid 60-knot winds. The impact left the vessel without any power or steering, leaving it trapped in the water.

Commanded by Coxswain Paddy McLaughlin alongside five crew members, the station's all-weather lifeboat was launched without delay to navigate the short distance to the scene. Red Bay RNLI's inshore lifeboat was also deployed to assist with the operation.

The response took place in tough conditions, with the crew facing Force 9 gusting winds, heavy driving rain and total darkness throughout the night.

On arrival, lifeboat volunteers confirmed that all six individuals on board were safe, although the vessel itself remained firmly entangled in the fish farm cages.

Given the treacherous weather and rough sea conditions, the Coxswain decided that the safest strategy was for the sailors to stay on board their vessel, while the lifeboat maintained a close watch until dawn broke at 7.30am.

The RNLI team successfully freed the yacht from the netting at 9.30am. The vessel and its sailors were then safely navigated into Glenarm, arriving at 10am where members of Larne Coastguard provided further assistance.

Speaking following the call out, Paddy McLaughlin, Red Bay RNLI Coxswain said: “This was a challenging call out in difficult weather conditions, but we were delighted to bring the sailors to safety, and we would like to wish them well.

“We would also like to commend our colleagues in the Coastguard and thank our crew who responded quickly in the middle of the night, launched our lifeboats in darkness and made their way to the scene in what were gale force conditions, and for then spending seven hours at sea. This shout was a great example of the selfless and dedicated efforts of volunteers who used their skills and training to bring six people to safety in what was a challenging operation.”