RNLI crew man's wedding speech interrupted by lifeboat rescue call

The wedding of Francis and Helen Burn was interrupted by an RNLI distress call as the groom was making his speech

Lifeboat rescuers know that distress calls usually come at the worst possible times, but for one crewman, it happened in the middle of his wedding.

Francis Burns was making his wedding speech in County Donegal on Saturday when he was interrupted by pager alarms all around the room.

At first, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) volunteer thought his crew was playing a joke on him.

But when about a dozen of his guests left their dinner, he knew duty called.

"I was nervous enough doing my speech but when the pagers sounded, my heart started to pound and the adrenaline was pumping through me," Mr Burns told BBC News NI.

About 12 RNLI volunteers, based at Lough Swilly in County Donegal, had to leave the reception and rush out to rescue a stranded boatman.

On this occasion, the groom was allowed to stay at his wedding while his friends answered the call.

The couple had posed for RNLI-themed photographs before the alarm was raised

The all-weather lifeboat berth was visible from the hotel so the wedding party had a good view of the rescue operation, while Mr Burns made sure some dinner was kept warm for the crew.

'Wind up'

However, the 27-year-old newly-wed said there have been plenty of times during their courtship when he had to abandon his new wife, Helen McFarland.

"Many a time I've left Helen sitting on her own in a restaurant," Mr Burns said.

He has been an unpaid volunteer with the RNLI since he was 19 and said that in his experience, distress calls never comes when he is finishing his meal, but usually when he is sitting down to his starter.

According to fellow crewman, Joe Joyce, the groom was just in the middle of thanking his new wife for all she has put up with over the years when the alarm was raised.

"He thought it was a wind up", Mr Joyce said.

He added that a crew member would never be expected to leave their wedding, joking that otherwise "it could have been divorce".

However, Mr Burns said that in all aspects of their lives, RNLI volunteers have to be "ready to rock".

Francis Burns, 27, has volunteered with the RNLI since he was a teenager

Francis said before he goes to bed, he ensures his clothes are by his bed, and that his socks are in his shoes in case he is called out to a rescue in the middle of the night.

"You're waking out of a deep sleep," he added. "You can't be rummaging through drawers for underwear."

Mr Joyce said crew members carry their pagers everywhere and get a "shot of adrenaline" when they are triggered.

"You get up and you run," he added.

The crew that had to leave the wedding unexpectedly were able to return to the reception, after the rescue, and finish their meal.

There was also a 'happy ever after' ending for the stranded boatman, who was safely brought back to shore.