Lough Derg RNLI assists 3 people on a 30ft cruiser adrift in Scariff Bay

At 3.47pm Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat Jean Spier launched with helm Eleanor Hooker, Owen Cavanagh, Steve Smyth and Tom Hayes on board. Winds were westerly Force 4 gusting F5, visibility was fair with low mist and frequent squalls.

At 4.03pm the lifeboat located the casualty vessel by the Scilly Islands in Scariff Bay, southeast of Mountshannon Harbour. All three people on board were unharmed. The lifeboat provided two survivor lifejackets and requested that the third person don their lifejacket on board. An RNLI volunteer transferred across to the casualty vessel and established that that engine had failed.

Given the location and the deteriorating weather conditions and poor forecast, the helm requested the crew to set up for an astern tow. The lifeboat crew communicated their decision to tow the casualty vessel to Mountshannon Harbour, to Valentia Coast Guard.

In the lee of Bushy Island at the entrance to Mountshannon Bay, lifeboat volunteers changed to the tow from an astern tow to an alongside tow to facilitate navigating the channel into harbour. At 4.45pm the casualty vessel was safely tied alongside at Mountshannon Harbour.

The lifeboat departed the scene and was back at Station at 5.10pm

Liam Maloney, Deputy Launching Authority at Lough Derg RNLI advises boat users to ‘carry sufficient lifejackets for all passengers and wear them, and also carry a means of communication so that you can call for assistance if you find yourself in difficulty on the lake’.

Ends

Notes to editors

• Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat station has been operating since 2004. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/lough-derg-lifeboat-station
• A photo of Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat can be viewed at: https://www.facebook.com/RNLILoughDerg/

RNLI media contacts

For more information please telephone Eleanor Hooker, Lough Derg RNLI volunteer helm and Lifeboat Press Officer on 0877535207 or [email protected] or Nuala McAloon, Regional Media Officer on 0876483547 [email protected] or Niamh Stephenson, Regional Media Manager on 0871254124 or [email protected]

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Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around Ireland and the UK. The RNLI operates 46 lifeboat stations in Ireland. The RNLI is independent of government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, the charity has saved over 142,700 lives.

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 142,700 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter 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.