Lough Derg RNLI launched to assist four people after 42ft cruiser runs aground
At 10.44am Monday (1 May) Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat to launch to assist four people after their 42ft steel cruiser ran aground on a sandbank by the entrance to Dromane Harbour, directly opposite Dromineer, on the County Clare shore of Lough Derg.
At 11.05am, the lifeboat launched with helm Ger Egan, Peter Clarke and Keith Brennan on board. Winds were northerly, Force 2. Visibility was very good.
The lifeboat was alongside the casualty vessel at 11.15am - all passengers were found to be safe and unharmed.
An RNLI volunteer was transferred to the casualty vessel and when satisfied that the boat was not holed, it was safely taken off the sandbank. Once in deep water the RNLI crewman checked the rudder and steering. Under tow a small ingress of water was sealed with a bung from the lifeboat toolkit. The lifeboat continued the tow to Dromineer, where engineers prepared to lift the boat from the water for inspection and maintenance.
Liam Maloney, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat, advises boat users to ‘bring charts with you and identify the areas close to shore and islands marked as not navigable’.
The lifeboat returned to Station and was ready for service again at 12.45pm.
Ends
RNLI media contacts
For more information please contact Eleanor Hooker, Lough Derg RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 0877535207, email
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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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