Courtmacsherry RNLI rescues four people after 36ft yacht gets into difficulty

Under Coxswain Sean O Farrell and a crew of six, the lifeboat was underway within minutes and travelling at its top speed of 25 knots, located the vessel at 10.30pm as it was drifting with all power lost.

The lifeboat immediately attached a tow rope to the casualty and proceeded to tow the yacht, which had four crew onboard, back to Courtmacsherry Harbour.

It was a slow return to base last night as safety to all was paramount and all arrived back to the Pier Pontoon in the Village at 2.30am this morning safe and sound.

The yacht was on passage from the Isle of Wight when they lost power and sent out the distress message to the Irish Coast Guard.

It was another fast call out last night as many of the voluntary crew were enjoying the beautiful summer sunset as they helped with the Beach Barbecue which was part of the local festival in the village.

It was also the initial call out that used the station’s early warning message Siren, that will now be part of every call out in order to alert people in the water nearby or the public in the village that a lifeboat call out is in progress.

It has been a very busy last six weeks at the station which has seen seven successful call outs to incidents at sea.

Lifeboat Operations Manager Brian O Dwyer said: 'It's been the busiest six weeks for many a year and many thanks to all the volunteers at the station for always putting the rescue of others ahead of all their other interests. We want to stress to all users of the water over the busy August Bank Holiday weekend to be ever vigilant on or near the sea or inland waters and alert the Coast Guard at all times by dialling 999 or 112 if one observes someone in difficulty'.

The crew on last night's call out were Coxswain Sean O Farrell, mechanic Tadgh McCarthy and crew members Mark John Gannon, Denis Murphy, Paul McCarthy, Austin McKenna and Dean Hennessey.

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RNLI Media Contacts

For further information if required contact Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat LPO Vincent O Donovan at 086 2530637 or Lifeboat House at 023 8846600.

General Safety advice from the RNLI this August Weekend.

At the beach

• Go to a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags.
• Before going into the sea, consider your ability and the conditions; the sea is very different to a pool.
• When you enter the water, take time to acclimatise to the temperature.
• Have someone watching you from the beach and make sure they are able to call for help.

Near open water

• When you are near open water, keep away from the edge, stick to designated paths and look out for safety signs.
• Keep clear of uneven, unstable or slippery ground.
• Avoid walking alone or at night, and always carry a means of calling for help.
• If you are exploring the coastline, always get local advice on the tide to make sure you don’t get cut off.

On the water

• Carry a means of calling for help in case you do end up in trouble.
• Wear an appropriate flotation device, such as a lifejacket or buoyancy aid – it could save your life.
• If you are going out alone, tell someone ashore your plans and what time you expect to be back.

Key facts about the RNLI

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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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.