The volunteer crew were requested to launch their all-weather Tamar class lifeboat, Killarney, by the Irish Coast Guard at 4:00 pm this afternoon to assist the crew of a 40-foot ketch that was approximately 20 nautical miles south of Kilmore Quay. One of the two crew on board the ketch had sustained an injury to his shoulder. Conditions in the area at the time were overcast and squally, with a Force 5 north easterly wind. The sea state at the time was described as moderate.
The lifeboat under Coxswain Aidan Bates with four crew members on board immediately launched and made its way to the scene. Arriving on scene at 5:10 pm, the crew launched their Y-boat, transferring a crew member to the vessel to assess the situation. A decision was made to establish a towline and return the vessel and crew to the nearest port which was Kilmore Quay. At 5:22 pm with the towline secured the boats were under way. The lifeboat crew member remained on board the yacht for the passage back to Kilmore Quay, arriving safely back to the harbour at 8:00 pm. The local Irish Coast Guard Unit provided assistance to the injured man.
The Kilmore Quay RNLI lifeboat crew involved in the call out were Coxswain Aidan Bates, mechanic Philip Walsh and crew members Trevor Devereux, Sean Furlong and Nigel Kehoe.
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.
