Galway RNLI crew rescue sailor from boat aground on Galway Bay

The crew of Eoin Carey, Máirtín Folan, Leo Branagan and helm James Rattigan were at the lifeboat station for a planned exercise and had just launched the lifeboat when the call came in from the Coast Guard. This meant the lifeboat and crew were able to head without delay to the location of the stricken sailing boat, arriving around 15 minutes later.

On arrival at the casualty boat one of the lifeboat crew went on board to check on the welfare of the sailor and the condition of the boat. The sailor was well but as the sailing boat was taking on water the crew decided to take the sailor on board the lifeboat as a safety measure. The lifeboat and crew then brought the sailor to a nearby harbour to get ashore safely.

Peter Navan was on duty as RNLI Launch Authority when the call came in from the Coast Guard. He said: ‘The sea conditions were moderate this afternoon with some wind and the visibility was poor. Despite this the lifeboat and crew were able to cross Galway Bay to the south shore in good time. We knew from the Coast Guard that a sailing boat had gone aground and was taking on water so there was no time to waste. Luckily we had the lifeboat and crew already on the water when the call came in which really helped to speed things up.

‘The crew’s assessment of the condition of the sailing boat was that it wasn’t safe to tow and as it wasn’t near the shipping channel or in any danger to other boats or water users it was left on anchor. Our priority is always the welfare of the casualty and our crew and making sure they all get home safely.

‘Today was an example of the importance of having the means of communicating with you at all times when on the water. And also to call for help when you get into trouble and not wait to see if things improve. The sailor did the right thing by making the call to the Coast Guard once the boat went aground which meant that we were able to get the lifeboat and crew ready and heading to the casualty boat in good time in order to rescue the sailor.

‘In addition the sailor was wearing a lifejacket and had dropped the anchor which was the right thing to do. Our advice is to use an anchor in an emergency. It can prevent you from drifting and make it easier for our crew to find you. Always have an anchor suitable for your boat and practise using it so that it is second nature if you need to anchor in an emergency.

‘Today’s shout went really well and it was a great outcome to be able to get the sailor off the sailing boat and ashore safely. It happened to be the first shout for our new helm James Rattigan and it was not straightforward but nothing that his training hadn’t prepared him for.’

Ends

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The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.

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