Early morning callout for Wicklow RNLI to yacht in difficulty
Wicklow RNLI all-weather lifeboat brought three sailors to safety early this morning (Friday 14 June) after their 35ft yacht got into difficulty nine miles east of Wicklow harbour.
The lifeboat slipped moorings shortly after 1:00am and put to sea following a pager alert from the Coast Guard. The alarm was raised after the yacht which was on passage south to Cork got fouled in ropes and lost propulsion.
The Shannon class lifeboat Jock and Annie Slater was alongside the stricken yacht at 1:35am six miles east of Wicklow head. Volunteer crew members David O Leary and Paul Sillery were transferred onto the yacht and managed to free the ropes from the propeller.
Weather conditions on scene were sea state slight with wind south west force two. A towline was established, and the yacht was towed back to Wicklow harbour.
The three sailors were landed safely ashore and the yacht was secured alongside the East pier by 3:30am.
The crew on the callout were Coxswain Nick Keogh, Mechanic Brendan Copeland, Ciaran Doyle, Tom McAulay, David O’ Leary and Paul Sillery.
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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