At 13.00 today Lough Neagh Rescue was paged by HMCG Belfast to a report of 3 canoeists in the water after they capsized near Rams Island. Ardboe and Kinnego Lifeboats launched immediately and on arrival at the scene found that the skipper of a nearby Sand Barge, the Fairhead, had deployed it’s liferaft and all the canoeists had managed to board the liferaft. Ardboe lifeboat transfered the canoeists from the liferaft onto the lifeboat and brought them to waiting Ambulances and the Lough Neagh Coastguard team at Crumlin Marina. The 3 canoeists were suffering from severe hypothermia and had to be stretchered from the lifeboat amd were taken by Ambulance to the Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast.
For emergencies on Lough Neagh and it’s tributary rivers call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
