Skerries RNLI tow broken down jet ski with two on board to safety

Shortly after 5pm, the volunteers launched the Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat following a 999 call to Dublin Coast Guard from a jet ski that had broken down.

The position was given as south of Balbriggan, so the crew set a course towards Barnageerah beach and then worked their way north towards Balbriggan harbour searching for the jet ski.

They located the casualty in shallow water near a large rocky outcrop between Barnageerah and Balbriggan. The man and woman were taken on board the lifeboat and assessed. With neither requiring any immediate casualty care treatment, the jet ski was taken under tow and they were returned safely to the slipway at the lifeboat station in Skerries.

There was a slight swell at the time with a force two to three east to south-east wind.

Speaking about the call out, volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Skerries RNLI, Gerry Canning said: ‘You never know when something is going to go wrong, so we’d like to remind anyone going to sea to carry a means of contacting the shore to call for help.’

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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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