First rescue of the year for Skerries RNLI
Skerries RNLI carried out their first rescue of the new year in the early hours of this morning (16 January), towing a razor fishing boat with two men on board to safety.
Shortly before midnight Dublin Coast Guard requested Skerries RNLI to launch their Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat following a distress call from a razor fishing vessel that had suffered mechanical failure off Skerries.
The lifeboat was launched and the volunteer crew navigated to the GPS position provided by the vessel. A tow was established and the vessel was towed back to the safety of the harbour in Skerries.
The lifeboat returned to the station and was washed down, decontaminated and made ready for the next service.
RNLI media contacts
For more information please telephone Gerry Canning, Skerries RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 087 988 4965 or email [email protected] or Nuala McAloon, RNLI Ireland Media Officer on 087 648 3547 or email [email protected] or Niamh Stephenson, RNLI Ireland Media Manager on 087 1254 124 or [email protected]
The conditions at the time were force 6 to 7 south easterly wind with a slight to moderate chop. With heavy rain and hail falling, visibility was poor.
The call out marked the first time this year that the pagers have sounded for the volunteers of Skerries RNLI.
Speaking about the call out, volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Skerries RNLI, Gerry Canning said: ‘Despite the additional challenges presented by Covid-19 and the lockdown, our volunteers are still ready to respond at any time. The crew did a great job tonight in very dark unpleasant, conditions”
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.