Dunmore East RNLI rescue lone sailor on yacht which lost its rudder

At 10:30 am the Dunmore East RNLI lifeboat launched on service to assist a lone sailor on a 10m yacht 15 miles South West of Dunmore East. The yacht had lost its rudder and was adrift 1 mile from the shore in moderate sea conditions.

The volunteer crew of the Trent Class Dunmore East RNLI lifeboat ‘Elizabeth and Ronald’ located the stricken yacht drifting towards the shore with a strong southerly wind. Once on scene, the lifeboat crew established a tow with the yacht but the initial tow was difficult due to the lack of steerage on the rudderless yacht. The lifeboat crew then passed a sea anchor or drogue to the casualty vessel and was trailed astern of the yacht which stabilised the yacht enough to enable a safe tow. The vessel was then towed to the safety of Dunmore East harbour, at 2:15 pm.

David O’ Halloran, RNLI Crewmember for Dunmore East RNLI, said: ‘conditions at sea were challenging for our volunteer crew today. We train for this type of call and we all worked very well together to ensure a successful outcome.’

Ends

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.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

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.