At 11.38hrs Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat launched following a request from Valentia Coast Guard to assist a cruiser aground. It was reported that some of the persons had sustained injuries when the vessel grounded.
The lifeboat with helm Peter Clarke, Margaret Ryan and Eleanor Hooker was alongside the vessel at 12midday. Weather conditions were poor, with South Westerly winds Force 6 gusting 7, a large swell and fair to poor visibility.
Two RNLI crew members boarded the casualty vessel to assess her passengers, a family of 7 on holiday from the UK. One person had sustained serious face and arm injuries having fallen down the gangway stairs on impact, another person had suffered bruised ribs and another person needed to have their hip assessed.
It was decided to take everyone off the cruiser onto the lifeboat and to Dromineer Harbour, where they were met by the Lifeboat Medical Adviser, Dr. Peter Hooker, and an ambulance. The injured persons were taken to Nenagh Hospital for further assessment and treatment. A villager from Dromineer took the remaining passengers to his house to get warm.
The RNLI lifeboat crew then returned to the cruiser, which was stuck fast but not holed. They released it from the rocks and brought it to Dromineer Harbour. Peter Clarke, RNLI Helm for Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat said that he was very pleased to have our training put into practice.
Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat station has been operating since May 2004. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to www.rnli.org.uk/loughderglifeboat
