Donaghadee RNLI Rescues Man from Water Following Harbour Incident
- Robert Stone
- Jun 3
- 2 min read
Wednesday 3 June 2026
DONAGHADEE, Co Down - Volunteers from Donaghadee RNLI were launched on Tuesday afternoon after reports of a man struggling in the water in Donaghadee Harbour.
The volunteer crew were paged at 3.46pm on Tuesday, 2 June, by HM Coastguard following a report from a member of the public who had spotted a dinghy adrift and a man in difficulty in the water, holding onto a boat.
The member of the public immediately raised the alarm and also alerted a local fishing vessel. Together, they attempted to recover the casualty but were unable to bring him safely ashore.
Fortunately, Senior Station Technician Iain Kaleda was already aboard the station’s Trent class lifeboat Macquarie carrying out routine maintenance when the pagers were activated. This enabled the RNLI crew to respond rapidly, launching the smaller boarding boat and reaching the casualty within minutes.
The casualty was successfully recovered from the water and brought to safety within the harbour.
Crew members Chris Stewart and John Petrie immediately administered casualty care and assessed the man’s condition. While he was suffering from the effects of cold-water immersion, he remained alert and responsive.
The man was then escorted to the warmth of the lifeboat station, where further casualty care was provided to help raise his body temperature and check for any additional injuries. Members of the Coastguard Rescue Team also offered support and advice.
After being assessed, the casualty was found to be in good spirits and declined any further medical treatment. He later returned home independently.
Speaking after the incident, Senior Station Technician Iain Kaleda said:
“We are all very relieved to have been able to help this gentleman so quickly and that he wasn’t in the water for an extended length of time. I must also commend the member of the public who spotted the casualty, and the local boat owner who jointly attempted to recover him. They acted correctly and swiftly."
“As always, we recommend wearing a lifejacket at all times when you are in and around a boat on the water. Thankfully, this incident had a successful outcome.”
The RNLI continues to remind all water users of the importance of wearing an appropriate lifejacket and taking suitable safety precautions when on or near the water.
