A pint at the Port? It was a day of drama in Portpatrick
The helicopter in Portpatrick
THOUGH the appeal of a pint in one of its many fine hostelries is great, people were flocking to Portpatrick for other reasons today.
First there was the crew of a small fishing boat which arrived in harbour under the watchful eye of the RNLI lifeboat.
The Coastguard said the vessel's propellor shaft failed, cutting power and letting in water.
Using pumps, the water ingress was controlled and the boat was brought safely to harbour.
And then a helicopter was spotted over the area. It was headed for Northern Ireland but low cloud meant it instead cut short the journey, landing near the clifftop Portpatrick Hotel.
It is thought the Bell Jet Ranger lll was being flown under Visual Flight Rules, which are common for helicopters which operate at levels lower than aeroplanes.
It means pilots will continue onwards provided the conditions are generally clear enough so they can see where they are going.
Low cloud and drizzle can mean putting safety first and setting down somewhere sensible as soon as possible... and the Port is the perfect place if you need a stop, scheduled or unscheduled.
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Published: 17 Jul 2020, 18:36