Illuminating flares light water in kayaker rescue

22/09/2022

A kayaker floating in the water for an hour has been found and rescued after illuminating flares helped light the search area in Northern Ireland.

Larne RNLI was asked to help by Belfast Coastguard one evening in September after it was reported that a kayaker was in the water in Brown’s Bay at Islandmagee, on the East Antrim coast. The coastguard had been contacted by the kayaker’s concerned wife.

Both its lifeboats were launched and white flares were used to search the area. Portmuck Coastguard heard shouts for help in the bay and the smaller inshore lifeboat, Terry, investigated.

The crew located the kayaker in the middle of the bay floating on his back. He was very cold and was taken into the lifeboat and to the beach as quickly as possible. There, members of the Portmuck and Larne mobile coastguard team provided blankets and assistance.

Due to the severity of the casualty’s condition, the Irish Coast Guard’s Dublin-based helicopter Rescue 116 was called and a paramedic evaluated the casualty’s condition while awaiting the arrival of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service.

Larne RNLI’s inshore lifeboat helm Barry Kirkpatrick says, “The casualty’s wife did the right thing by calling 999 and asking for the coastguard when she realised, he was in difficulty in the water. The kayaker also did the right thing by floating on his back with his arms stretched out. He was floating to live.

“All of the emergency services worked together so well to achieve a positive outcome. It was great teamwork from everyone involved.”

The image is from Larne RNLI’s Facebook page.