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Clifden RNLI rescue two sailors on board a broken down yacht

Lifeboats News Release

Yesterday (Monday 19 August) Clifden's volunteer lifeboat crew were called out to assist two sailors who had run into difficulty in Ballinakill Bay, near Letterfrack.

RNLI/Tom Guy

The sailors of the 10 meter yacht were two sister who had passaged from Cardiff, Wales and had broken down in Connemara waters.

Our crew launched the all weather lifeboat, St Christopher around 10.30 yesterday morning and made their way the to scene. Daniel Whelan was in command as Coxswain, with Joe Acton, Chris Nee, Andy Bell and David O Reilly as crew. The shore crew to launch and recover the lifeboat were Ian Shanahan and John B Mannion.

Once the vessel was located and the sailors were confirmed to be safe and well, the decision was made to establish a tow line and bring the vessel and her crew into safer waters. This was to ensure the safety of those onboard and to prevent a navigational hazard in the maritime channel of Ballinakill Bay.

The yacht and her two sailors were successfully towed by Clifden RNLI and brought to a safe mooring at Cleggan pier.

Speaking about the rescue Clifden RNLI Coxswain Daniel Whelan said; 'Today's shout was a good reminder to always request help if you run into difficulty at sea. The weather and sea conditions are very changeable for this time of year and people should not hesitate to call for help if they are in danger. We wish the sailors well on their onward journey.

'We are very fortunate enough in Clifden RNLI to have massive support from our local community, in this case I'd like to thank Johnny King from Cleggan for the use of his mooring during the operation.

'As always if you see someone in difficultly in the water please radio or call 999/112 for help, we are ready to respond 24/7.'

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.

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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.

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