#westcorkyacht – Two people have been found alive and one body has been recovered after a boating accident off West Cork this morning.
Our photo from the scene taken at dawn this morning show the rescue operation underway with the Coastguard helicopter landing on Horse island, a well known boating spot.
The yacht was discovered shortly after first light this morning, an RNLI spokeswoman said.
RTE News reports the three crew were in a 20-foot yacht that left Schull harbour yesterday afternoon but had not returned by 7pm as expected.
The alarm was raised by a friend who was due to meet them on their return and an air and sea search operation began.
The discovery came after 12 hour search operation when a seven metre yacht (21ft) was reported overdue and missing in Roaringwater Bay in Schull.
A 76-year-old man and the woman, who is in her 60s, were found on a small island known as Castle Island in Schull harbour at 6.15am this morning.
A man's body was found later and is being brought to shore.
They were in need of medical attention and suffering the effects of hypothermia.
The Shannon based Helicopter Rescue 117 lifted the casualties and took them to Baltimore for further medical attention.
Baltimore lifeboat and the Coast Guard Helicopter located the dinghy and two crew on a small island known as Castle Island in Schull harbour at 6.15am this morning. Photo: Judy McGrath
They indicated to their rescuers that the third man had been trying to swim the 100m to shore along with them when they lost contact with him.
The Irish Independent reports the yacht was a Drascombe Lugger, about 20ft long, which was found upturned about one and a half miles from shore near Castle Island. The boats are popular in this area ideal for coastal cruising and conditions in more sheltered parts of the bay are considered ideal for vessels of this kind.
Sources say formal identification of the body and confirmation that the remains are those of the missing sailor will take some time.
Additional report from RNLI Baltimore
Baltimore Lifeboats have been involved in a major search and rescue operation in Roaring Water Bay. Three people were reported missing when a small open sailing boat ( a Drascombe Lugger) failed to return to Schull as planned at 7pm. The Baltimore lifeboats were alerted at 9:14pm on Wednesday 13 August. They immediately began a search of the area between Long Island in the West and Horse Island in the East and extending South through Roaring Water Bay. The lifeboats continued searching as darkness fell until the search was stood down after midnight. The search was recommenced at 5:30 am this morning 14 August. Two people were found by Schull Community Rescue on the NW corner of Castle Island at 6:15 this morning. They were a man in his 70's and a woman in her 60's, both from the UK. Inshore lifeboat Helm John Kearney and crew Ryan O'Mahony carried out a medical assessment of the man and woman who had scrambled ashore the previous evening after their boat had capsized, and then the Shannon based Helicopter Rescue 117 took them to Baltimore for further medical attention. The upturned boat was found aground on the nearby Carthy Islands.
Several hours later inshore lifeboat Helm Youen Jacob with crew John Kearney and Ryan O'Mahony spotted a life jacket in the water North of Sherkin Island. The body of the missing man was recovered at 8:15 approx. The man was taken to the station at Bullpoint where he was pronounced dead by RNLI Medical Advisor Dr Don Creagh. Sergeant Tony McCarthy and Garda Mairtín Ashe attended the scene and supervised removal to CUH for post mortem.
The search and rescue operation was made possible by the RNLI Baltimore volunteer crews and shore crews.
Yesterday evening on board the all weather lifeboat were Coxswain Kieran Cotter, Mechanic Brian McSweeney and crew John O'Flynn, Jerry Smith, Eoin Ryan, Don O'Donovan and Diarmuid Collins. Onboard the inshore lifeboat were Helm Kieran Collins, Micheál Cottrell and Tadhg Collins.
Today onboard the all weather lifeboat were; Coxswain Pat Collins, Mechanic Sean McCarthy, Shane McSweeney, Diarmuid Collins, John O'Flynn,Tadhg Collins. On board the inshore lifeboat were Helm Youen Jacob, John Kearney and Ryan O'Mahony.