Lough Neagh Rescue Assists Stranded Vessel on River Blackwater

Sunday 21 June 2026

Volunteer crews from Lough Neagh Rescue were tasked by HM Coastguard at 11:40pm last night to assist a vessel that had become stranded in dense reeds on the River Blackwater.

Photo Credit: Lough Neagh Rescue

Following the pager activation, rescue crews launched and navigated challenging night-time conditions to reach the casualty vessel. Upon arrival, volunteers assessed the situation and confirmed that all persons on board were safe and well.

Rescue personnel successfully freed the vessel from the reeds before towing it back to the slipway at Maghery, bringing the incident to a safe conclusion.

No injuries were reported during the operation.

After completing the recovery, refuelling and preparing equipment for future callouts, volunteers returned to station at 2:15am, where they stood ready to respond to any further emergency taskings.

Lough Neagh Rescue reminds all water users to take extra care when navigating at night and to ensure they are familiar with local waterways and potential hazards.