Sligo Bay RNLI assists after strong winds cause difficulty for sailors
Sligo Bay RNLI provided assistance for Sligo Yacht Club yesterday afternoon (Sunday 10 May) after the wind unexpectedly strengthened resulting in several dinghies capsizing at the same time resulting in several sailors in the water trying to right their dinghies.
The inshore lifeboat was requested to launch at 3.14pm by the Irish Coast Guard after the alarm was raised by a senior instructor at Sligo Yacht Club. As a precaution, the call was made to the Coast Guard to help assist the club's two safety boats.
The volunteer lifeboat crew launched the Sheila & Dennis Tongue at 3.23pm. Once on scene the lifeboat crew assessed the situation and spoke to the senior instructor who confirmed that all the sailors had been safely brought back to shore by the club safety boats. The lifeboat stood by until the remaining dinghies were brought to shore.
Speaking after the call out, Ross Palmer, Sligo Bay RNLI Helm said: ‘We would like to commend the yacht club for making the correct call today given the number of dinghies and sailors on the water. We would also like to commend the instructors involved today for their expertise in ensuring that all the sailors were brought to shore without delay and that the boats were recovered afterwards.
'As we prepare for summer, we encourage any one planning a trip to sea to go prepared. Should you get into difficulty or see someone else in trouble, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.'
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