A father and son have been rescued from Strangford Lough in Co Down, after taking to sea in a dinghy fitted with a motor.

The pair were left stranded in icy water on Friday evening when their water craft became swamped. After being rescued by RNLI crews, it was later established that the dinghy had an outboard engine, and also had traces of patching on the tube where a repair had been carried out.

According to a member of the Portaferry RNLI, conditions were not rough and that the men were fortunate to avoid a fatality. 

“These two men had a lucky escape. If their cries for help had not been heard this could have been an awful tragedy. These types of craft are totally unsuitable for the open waters off our coast."

“An inflatable dinghy which may be okay in a supervised indoor pool is not meant for the sea. Also in this case the addition of the power from the attached outboard engine made an unsuitable craft even more dangerous. "

“We would urge people to be responsible and check that they are using the proper equipment when they take to the water.”