Sailors rescued after yacht becomes trapped at fish farm
Portugal-bound vessel became entangled during gale in Northern Ireland bay
Six sailors were rescued by RNLI lifeboat volunteers after their yacht became trapped at a salmon farm in Red Bay in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, during gale force conditions on Saturday.
The rescuers were requested to launch the all-weather lifeboat from Red Bay RNLI station at 3.22 am on Saturday after Belfast Coastguard received a Mayday from the vessel which got into difficulty while on passage from Oban in Scotland to Portugal. Red Bay’s inshore lifeboat also launched to assist in the operation.
The yacht lost all power and steering after making contact with a fish farm in Red Bay, in 60 knots of wind.
Once on scene, the crew observed that all onboard the yacht were safe but trapped due to the vessel having got entangled on the fish cages.
Waited for daylight
Given the difficult weather and sea conditions, lifeboat coxswain Paddy McLaughlin decided that the safest course of action was for the sailors to remain onboard the yacht and for the lifeboat to standby until daybreak at 7.30 am.
At 9.30 am the lifeboat crew successfully freed the yacht from the fish farm and brought the sailors safely to port.
McLaughlin 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.”
The salmon farm in Red Bay on Northern Ireland’s northeast coast is operated by independent company Glenarm Organic Salmon, which says the site and another 11 miles away at Glenarm Bay are the only fish farms in the Irish Sea. The company produces up to 600 tonnes of salmon per year and employs 17 people.
“Our seawater farms are located in the very exposed and energetic coastal waters of the North Channel in the Irish Sea where currents and tidal flows ensure optimal exercise and firm muscle formation in the salmon. The salmon also have plenty of space to grow and thrive with maximum stocking densities of 10kg per cubic metre providing the salmon population with a living environment that reduces stress and promotes healthy growth and freedom to thrive,” Glenarm states on its website.
“Such is the quality of the environment in which our farms are located and the isolation from any other producer, no antibiotics or medicines to treat disease or parasites endemic to wild salmon are used. This is just one of the things that make our salmon unique.”
Hand-fed fish
All of Glenarm’s fish are hand fed throughout the growing cycle.
“We find this traditional method of feeding ensures first class stock husbandry and the highest levels of flesh quality and flavour are achieved,” says the company.
The incident at the weekend was the second time a yacht had been trapped in a salmon farm in the island of Ireland in the space of a month. In early August, a vintage 30-metre yacht ran over the top of one of a pen and came to rest inside another one at a Mowi farm in County Mayo in the Republic of Ireland during the night.
No one was hurt and the yacht was towed free the next day.
