A group of four friends from Northern Ireland are setting out to paddle home from Scotland in aid of two life-saving charities.
Brothers Carl and Jamie Russell along with friends Connel McBrearty and Colm Watters, who are all from the North Coast, are aiming to complete the 38 mile challenge between August 5 and 14.
The four friends are setting out to raise funds for the Northern Ireland Air Ambulance and the RNLI. The route they will be taking is from Campbeltown RNLI lifeboat station to Cushendall RNLI lifeboat station.
Read more: Teen on inflatable unicorn rescued after drifting off shore in Strangford Lough
The group's lead organiser, Carl, was previously an RNLI lifeguard. He said: “The idea came about from meeting a man by the name of John McAuley and his lovely wife Maura.
"They lost their son, Ronan, to sudden adult death syndrome a few years ago and appreciate the air ambulance team can be a massive help in a scenario like they encountered. This happened when the family was making a walk for the public to use on their land; the walk is now named after him and continues to be improved to this day.
"Their story touched me, and I wanted to help by raising money for this charity, of their choice.
"The RNLI is my second charity as I’ve seen first-hand the difference they can make in saving lives at sea. As a previous RNLI lifeguard myself, I feel it’s only right to show my respect to what they do and to involve a challenge that incorporates the sea where they save so many lives.
"This is obviously a big challenge with a lot of potential risks, and not one we are taking lightly. I run a surf school, Sub6life and train lifeguards so we have good background and knowledge in taking this on.
"We are also working closely with a water safety team to help manage and minimise the risks and help keep us all safe."
Air Ambulance NI is a charity in Northern Ireland. They work in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS), to provide the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) for the region.
Kerry Anderson from Air Ambulance NI commented: “It’s inspiring that these four friends are taking on such a unique challenge for their chosen causes.
"At Air Ambulance NI we rely on people doing events and challenges in aid of the charity every day, this one is certainly different. We wish them every success and safety for their crossing and encourage the public to support them.”
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Powered primarily by kind donations, their search and rescue service has been saving lives for nearly 200 years.
The four friends will be splitting any funds raised 50/50 between the two charities, and you can donate to their fundraiser by clicking here.
READ NEXT:
-
Sea swimmer rescued after getting into difficulty in Co Down
-
RNLI warning after 11-year-old rescued more than a mile out to sea
-
NI lifeboat crews rescue rowers after galeforce seas batter GB Row Challenge
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.
