Busy holiday weekend for Lough Ree RNLI volunteer crew
The first public holiday weekend of the year saw Lough Ree RNLI volunteer crew respond to two call outs and came to the aid of four people stranded on the lake.
On St. Patrick’s Day (Thursday 17 March) the crew was requested by the Irish Coast Guard to go to the assistance of a cruiser with two people onboard.
With newly qualified crew member Liam Sheringham at the helm, the charity’s lifeboat ‘Tara Scougall’ launched just before 2pm. On reaching the scene, north of Long Island, the crew came to the assistance of a 37ft steel cruiser with two people onboard which had lost power and run aground. The cruiser was towed to safe water and later continued north under it’s own power.
In the second incident, on Saturday afternoon (19 March) the crew responded to a call out to a craft which was drifting on the lake between Coosan Point and Beam Island. Launching at 3.50pm, with newly qualified Helm Stewart McMicken in charge, the lifeboat reached the 33ft cruiser with two people onboard just after 4pm. On arrival the crew found the vessel already under tow by a passing boat near Hodson Bay. Following a safety examination the crew escorted both boats towards Athlone.
Over the weekend the volunteer crew from Lough Ree RNLI also joined with Athlone River Safety Group, Athlone Sub Aqua Club and An Garda Siochana to promote safety awareness on the water. Lough Ree RNLI Operations Manager Kevin Ganly said: ‘This co-operation among the agencies on the river is of critical importance when it comes to responding to emergencies on the water.’
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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 142,700 lives.
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