There have been two back to back callouts for Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat to assist a family of seven on a 40ft–cruiser aground at the Goat Road, and to assist a family of five on board at 35ft–cruiser aground at Ryan’s Point, Lough Derg
Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat launched at 2.26pm this afternoon, Saturday July 30, following a request from Valentia Coast Guard to assist a family of seven, three adults and four children, on board a 40ft cruiser aground at the Goat's Road (a nesting elevation for migrating birds) at the eastern shore of Lough Derg.
Winds were northwesterly, Force 3, visibility was very good.
At 2.38pm, the lifeboat, with helm Eleanor Hooker, Ger Egan and Lian Knight on board, located the vessel inside the Goat Road. The seven people on board were unharmed and all wearing their lifejackets.
A RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew was transferred to the casualty vessel where he reassured everyone and checked for any damage to the hull and any ingress of water. Satisfied that the boat was not holed, he set up a tow and the lifeboat took the vessel off the rocks and out into safe water. The drives and propellers were checked to ensure they had suffered no damage, and, after pointing out their safe route on their navigations charts, the cruiser made way to Dromineer under its own power.
At 3.20pm and on their return journey to Dromineer, Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat to go the assistance of a family of five, two adults and three children, whose 35ft cruiser had run aground on a rocky shoal by Ryan’s Point, midway down the eastern shore of Lough Derg. The lifeboat located the vessel at 3.27pm.
A RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew was transferred to the casualty vessel where he reassured everyone and distributed survivor lifejackets to those who had none.
He checked for any damage to the hull and once he was happy that the boat was not holed, set up a tow. The lifeboat took the vessel off the rocks and out into safe water. The drives and propellers were checked to ensure they were in working order. The cruiser continued on its onward journey.
The Lifeboat returned to station and was ready for service again at 5pm.
Pat Garland, Deputy Launching Authority at Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat advises boat users to ‘to carry enough lifejackets for everyone on board and to ensure they wear them, and to study their charts and stay within the navigation marks on the lake’.