Lough Derg RNLI launched to assist 3 people on 32ft cruiser with engine failure
Lough Derg RNLI launched to assist 3 people on 32ft cruiser with engine failure
Lifeboats News Release
At 7.14pm on Friday evening, 26 July, Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat to launch to assist 3 people on a 32ft cruiser that had suffered engine failure following engine overheat. The vessel was reported to be at anchor south of the Mountaineer Buoy, Navigation Mark C.
RNLI/Eleanor Hooker
Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat Jean Spier - archive photo
At 7.19pm Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat Jean Spier launched with helm Eleanor Hooker, crew James Corballis, Ciara Lynch and Deirdre Gleeson on board. The wind was south-westerly, Force 3, gusting F4. Visibility was good.
At 7.30pm the lifeboat came alongside the casualty vessel. All three people on board were safe and wearing their lifejackets. The skipper explained to the RNLI volunteers that when their engine had overheated, they immediately switched it off and deployed their anchor. They had checked the engine housing and the engine was cooled when the lifeboat arrived.
An RNLI volunteer transferred across to the casualty vessel. Given the vessel’s location on the navigation route, progressive nightfall and the possibility of initiating another emergency response should the vessel be left where it was, the helm made the decision to take the vessel under an astern tow to the nearest safe haven at Garrykennedy Harbour. The lifeboat informed Valentia Coast Guard of this decision. At 7.50pm the lifeboat had the casualty vessel under tow to Garrykennedy.
Killaloe Coast Guard land and water units were also deployed from their base at Killaloe. The Killaloe Coast Guard confirmed that there was space at the pontoon immediately inside the breakwater at Garrykennedy Harbour. The Killaloe Coast Guard land unit assisted with lines when berthing the casualty vessel in Garrykennedy. The casualty vessel was safely tied alongside at 8.20pm
The lifeboat departed the scene, and back at station, was washed down and refuelled at 20.51pm
Jeremy Freeman, Launching Authority at Lough Derg RNLI, advises boat users to ‘make sure your engine is serviced before you set out and if in difficulty dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard’.
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 146,000 lives.
