A family with three young children were rescued by RNLI crews yesterday after becoming cut off onto cliffs by a rising tide.
Portrush RNLI’s Inshore Lifeboat was requested to launch on Saturday at 5.01pm and arrived on scene between Castlerock and Downhill beaches at 5.18pm.
A RNLI spokesperson said the family of five had been enjoying a day at the beach when they realised that they had been cut off, approximately 10 feet up a cliff.
"There is a railway line running above the cliff so it was agreed that the best way to evacuate the family was to bring them down the cliff to the shore," the spokesperson said.
"An RNLI Lifeguard sat with the family reassuring them until the ILB arrived on scene. Another Lifeguard on a jet ski was stationed just off the shore in case he was required to assist.
"The volunteer RNLI crew and lifeguard formed a human chain to take firstly the mother and one child onto the ILB and were taken to the safety of the beach. The ILB then returned to get the father and the other two children who were also taken onto the ILB via the human chain and returned to the beach to join their family."
Keith Gilmore Lifeboat Operations Manager at Portrush RNLI said this summer has been busy for their crews.
He added: "This has been a very busy summer for both our volunteer Lifeboat crew and the Lifeguards on all our beaches in the area, and this is another example of how we have worked very closely together to carry out a successful rescue. Of course, we have had the additional issue of having to wear PPE for the protection of the public and the crew, but it is something we are becoming used to wearing.
"The RNLI Lifeguards and our crew worked well today in this joint rescue and the hope the family are recovering from their ordeal."
