Red Bay RNLI crew rescue six after yacht trapped in gale-force conditions
Saturday 12 September 2026
Six sailors were brought safely ashore after a dramatic seven-hour rescue operation off Cushendall in the early hours of Saturday morning, when a 46ft yacht lost power and steering after becoming entangled with a fish farm in gale-force conditions.
The volunteers of Red Bay RNLI were called into action at 3.22am after Belfast Coastguard received a Mayday from the yacht, which was making its way from Oban in Scotland to Portugal.
With winds reaching 60 knots, the vessel had made contact with a fish farm in Red Bay, leaving it without power or steering and trapped among the fish cages.
Red Bay RNLI's all-weather lifeboat launched immediately under the command of Coxswain Paddy McLaughlin, with five crew members onboard. The station's inshore lifeboat was also launched to assist.
The conditions confronting the volunteer crews were severe. Force 9 winds, gusting to around 60 knots, driving rain and darkness made the approach to the stricken yacht particularly challenging.
When the lifeboat arrived on scene, the crew established that all six people onboard were safe. However, they remained trapped after the yacht became entangled with the fish farm.
With the sea state deteriorating and conditions remaining extremely difficult, Coxswain McLaughlin made the decision that the safest option was for the sailors to remain onboard their yacht while the lifeboat stood by through the remainder of the night.
The crews remained at sea until daylight broke at around 7.30am.
At approximately 9.30am, the Red Bay RNLI crew successfully freed the yacht from the fish farm and escorted the vessel to Glenarm.
The six sailors arrived safely at around 10am, where they were assisted by Larne Coastguard.
Speaking after the operation, Red Bay RNLI Coxswain Paddy McLaughlin praised the sailors for their cooperation and paid tribute to the volunteers and other emergency services involved.
“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.”
He added:
“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.”
Coxswain McLaughlin said the operation demonstrated the commitment and professionalism of RNLI volunteers when faced with challenging conditions.
“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.”
