Donaghadee RNLI launched in the early hours of Monday morning to go to the aid of a sick trawlerman. The trawler New Dawn was 14 miles southeast of Portavogie on the way back to port when the skipper was taken ill. The trawler was unable to get into port because of the state of the tide. A medilink call to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary was made where a doctor suspected kidney stones and recommended the casualty be evacuated from the vessel and be transferred to hospital as soon as possible.
Belfast Coastguard requested Donaghadee lifeboat to launch at 2.29am. The lifeboat was alongside the New Dawn at 3.10 am and was able to transfer the casualty safely onto the lifeboat. He was then taken into Portavogie to a waiting ambulance for transfer to hospital. The lifeboat returned to Donaghadee just after 5am