Portaferry RNLI has issued a robust warning to these considering taking to the water in inappropriate or harmful craft.
It comes after a father and son have been rescued from the freezing waters of Strangford Lough on Friday night time.
Regardless of the comparatively calm circumstances, the lads acquired into critical hassle and the RNLI stated it was luck there was not a critical tragedy on their palms.
Their cries for assist have been heard from the shore and simply after 7pm the lifeboat launched from Portaferry to Killyleagh. The lads have been discovered by an area boat crew round three miles from the lifeboat station.
Their inflatable dinghy turned swamped and the pair ended up within the water. The inflatable craft was fitted with an outboard engine and confirmed indicators of patching on the tube the place a restore had been carried out.
The RNLI stated the craft was completely unsuitable for the open water and the addition of the motor made it much more harmful.
Portaferry RNLI Lifeboat Operations Supervisor Brian Bailie stated: “These two males had a fortunate escape. If their cries for assist had not been heard this might have been an terrible tragedy.
“These kinds of craft are completely unsuitable for the open waters off our coast. Circumstances and tides can change at a second’s discover and the ocean have to be revered.
“An inflatable dinghy which can be okay in a supervised indoor pool shouldn’t be meant for the ocean. Additionally on this case the addition of the facility from the hooked up outboard engine made an unsuitable craft much more harmful.
“We might urge individuals to be accountable and verify that they’re utilizing the right gear once they take to the water.
“Circumstances on the lough have been fairly calm on Friday with a drive three and a slight sea, but these individuals ended up in deep trouble.
“Fortunately they have been sporting private flotation units however they spent a while in freezing chilly water earlier than their cries have been heard they usually have been rescued.”