Busy Evening for Lough Neagh Rescue Volunteers Ends with Speedboat Assistance Call

Wednesday 24 June 2026

LOUGH NEAGH - Volunteer lifeboat crews from Lough Neagh Rescue's Kinnego, Ardboe and Antrim stations were kept busy on the evening of 23 June following a multi-station training exercise and a subsequent callout to assist a vessel in difficulty on the lough.

Lough Neagh Rescue

The evening began with a joint training exercise involving crews from all three stations, providing an opportunity to enhance operational readiness and inter-station coordination.

As volunteers were concluding the exercise, returning lifeboats to station and carrying out routine refuelling and post-training safety checks, Belfast Coastguard paged the charity to respond to reports of a speedboat experiencing difficulties near Tolans Point.

With weather conditions deteriorating and daylight fading, volunteer crews launched promptly and made their way to the reported location to assess the situation and ensure the safety of those on board.

The incident was resolved safely, with no injuries reported and all persons accounted for. Following an assessment of the situation, the casualty vessel was taken under tow and brought safely to Kinnego Marina.

After completing the operation, crews returned to their respective stations where lifeboat assets were prepared and made ready for any further emergency callouts.

Lough Neagh Rescue thanked its volunteer crews for their continued professionalism and commitment, highlighting their willingness to respond at any hour and in all conditions to assist those in difficulty on Lough Neagh and the surrounding waterways.