#rnli – A 36' motor cruiser on passage from Kinsale to Crosshaven with two people on board, lost one of its two engines with the second engine showing alarms. As the vessel was off Ringabella and on a lee shore, the skipper requested assistance.

At 5.50pm this afternoon, the pagers of the volunteer crew at Crosshaven RNLI were activated and Aidan O'Connor, Vincent Fleming and Ritchie Kelleher launched into force 6 South Easterly winds and rough seas, met with the vessel off Roches Point and escorted it safely to Crosshaven.

#RNLI - Enniskillen RNLI today (10 June) brought four people to safety in two separate incidents on Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh.

In the first call-out of the day, the volunteer lifeboat crew retrieved a man and women from their stranded cruiser which had developed engine problems and run aground on Lower Lough Erne.

The inshore lifeboat Joseph and Mary Hiley and the Rescue Water Craft (RWC) were launched just before 10am at the request of Belfast Coastguard and made the 25-minute, six-mile journey to the casualty's last known position at Crunnish Island. The wind was coming from the south east, force five with good visibility.

On arrival at the scene, the crew noted the casualties had deployed their anchor and there were strong waves hitting the starboard side of the vessel.

The RWC crew member was transferred to the casualty vessel to reassure the crew and to check for any leakage. Another crew member from the lifeboat was transferred to assist with the tow and to lift the anchor.

The lifeboat established a tow and the vessel was refloated and brought to safety at Tudor Farm jetty, close to the initial location.

Less than three hours later, the inshore lifeboat Jason Logg was launched by request of Belfast Coastguard to rescue two people on a broken-down personal water craft on Upper Lough Erne.

The crew proceeded to the casualty's last known whereabouts at the mouth of Tamlagh Bay, four miles downstream from the station towards Enniskillen.

On arrival, the crew found the troubled vessel in the reeds with two people sitting on it. The crew transferred both passengers onto the lifeboat before setting up a tow and bringing the water craft back to Bellanaleck Marina.

Elsewhere in Northern Ireland, Portaferry RNLI brought three men and a teenage boy to safety yesterday afternoon after their yacht got into difficulty off Portaferry in Co Down.

The volunteer lifeboat crew was alerted just after noon following a mayday call that there was a demasted yacht in trouble on Strangford Lough.

The lifeboat was launched minutes later and was alongside the stricken vessel, a 37ft yacht located in the narrows of Strangford Lough, at 12.10pm. Weather at the time was good with clear visibility and a flat calm sea.

One of the four casualties, who had been thrown from the vessel, had been recovered by a fellow crew member and all four were on board the yacht when the lifeboat crew arrived on scene.

Alongside, there was difficulty recovering the vessel so the mast and sail were cut away. Once cut, the lifeboat proceeded to tow the yacht with it crew on board safely back to Strangford where it was tied to a mooring.

Two of the crew were conveyed to hospital while the other two were made comfortable on the shore.

Portaferry RNLI was requested to launch for a second time later this afternoon following a report that a swimmer had gone missing in Newtownards. The lifeboat having launched was subsequently stood down after the missing person was found safe and well.

#rnli – Howth RNLI rescued a dog after he fell 200 feet from a cliff in north county Dublin yesterday.

The alarm was raised at approximately 4.30pm by a member of the public who was walking along the cliff path at Howth Head and noticed the dog's distressed owners.

The lifeboat helmed by Dave Howard and with fellow volunteer crew members Lorcan Dignam and Darryl Reamsbottom on board, was launched within minutes and went to the scene where the crew observed that Luca, a Pointer had fallen from the highest point of the cliff at the nose of Howth.

In what was a challenging rescue lasting about 30 minutes, two of the lifeboat crew with the guidance of Luca's owners at the top of the cliff, climbed over rocks and made their way to the frightened animal.

Having successfully recovered Luca, the crew then had to carefully work their way back to the lifeboat through the rocky boulders.

While returning to the lifeboat station, the inshore lifeboat crew came across a broken down jet-ski. The lifeboat towed the vessel and its owner safely back to a slipway at Howth Harbour.

Speaking following the call out, Howth RNLI Helm Dave Howard said: 'This was one very lucky dog. It was a 200ft drop and we didn't expect to have such a happy outcome to this rescue. Needless to say the owners were delighted to have Luca who was frightened and shivering but without harm, safely returned to them'.

This was the first of two call outs for Howth RNLI yesterday. The second came at 5.40pm when the lifeboat was requested to launch again following a report that a man who had been swimming across the channel to Malahide had got into difficulty.

The inshore lifeboat helmed this time by Lorcan Dignam and with crew members Tim McDonnell and Joss Walsh on board made its way to the scene where the swimmers having being dragged to shore by two friends who had raised the alarm, was located on the south eastern tip of Donabate Strand.

The lifeboat crew assessed the man and administered first aid on the scene before he was airlifted to hospital by the Irish Coast Guard

#rnli – While performing an exercise at yesterday's lifeboat station Open Day in Crosshaven, Cork harbour, Valentia Coast Guard contacted the lifeboat by radio alerting them to a yacht with possible fire on board in the Owenabue river upstream of the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

The lifeboat immediately broke off and headed to the scene reports Jon Mather of the lifeboat station. On arrival, the crew checked the yacht which had two adults and two children on board and found the engine bay fire was out before towing the vessel to Crosshaven Boatyard for repairs.

The RNLI volunteer crew on this service were Vincent Fleming, Ritchie Kelleher and James Fegan.

#rnli – Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat launched to assist a family in difficulty after their 17ft motor boat broke down and drifted into Cloondavaun Bay, south of Portumna, on the Galway shore of Lough Derg.

At 14.30hrs this afternoon Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat to launch to assist five people, two adults and three young children, after their 17ft motor boat suffered engine failure and was drifting south of Portumna, on the north western shore of Lough Derg.

The lifeboat launched with Helm Eleanor Hooker, Lian Knight and Tom Dunne on board. Winds were south easterly, Force 2. When the lifeboat came alongside at 15.15hrs, a passing cruiser had noticed the vessel in distress and had commenced a tow. The lifeboat transferred a crew member to the casualty vessel. The five people on board were unharmed, but hot and tired. 

The lifeboat took over the tow and thanked the cruiser for their vigilance and assistance. With a lifeboat volunteer on board, the lifeboat towed the motor boat to Portumna and under the bridge to the slip where the family's car and launching trolley were parked.

Lough Derg RNLI helm Eleanor Hooker thanked the couple on the cruiser for their assistance to the family. She advises boat users to 'ensure their engines are fully serviced and to provision their boats well with water before setting out in hot weather'.

The Lifeboat returned to station and was ready for service again at 17.15hrs.

#rnli – Bundoran RNLI were tasked to assist in the search for a child feared to be missing in the water at Rossnowlagh Beach on Sunday afternoon (9th June 2013).

The 6 year old child was reported missing following a 999 call to Malin Head Coast Guard who tasked Bundoran RNLI, the Rescue 118 Coast Guard Helicopter and The Killybegs Coast Guard Boat to search for the boy who was reportedly last seen near the water at around 4pm.

The Bundoran Lifeboat, paged at 4.15pm, arrived on scene at 4.30pm and commenced a search pattern in conjunction with the other rescue agencies and were also assisted by a number of local boats in the area and up to 5 jet-skis.

On the crowded beach, shore crew from Bundoran also helped in the search. As it continued, another call was received to Malin Head regarding a second child (8 years old) who had gone missing not far from the Sandhouse Hotel but was located soon after.

At around 4.50pm, almost an hour after the initial report, the child was found by a family member and the search was called off.

Volunteer Helm for the RNLI Lifeboat Iarla Carty said 'once again we had another happy ending to a callout and another example of rescue agencies working together for a positive resolution - we would encourage parents to be vigilant with their children around the water, particularly when the weather is so good'.

#RNLI - Stranraer RNLI's lifeboat was dispatched by Belfast Coastguard on Friday evening (7 June) to rescue men from a stranded personal water craft on the rocks at Corsewall Point.

The men had been travelling on the water scooter across the North Channel from Ballycastle in Northern Ireland to Campbeltown in Scotland and back - a round trip of some 130km - but ran out of fuel on the return leg, and drifted to Corsewall on the north point of the Rhins of Galloway.

The RNLI Stranraer lifeboat launched at 5.20pm from Lady Bay and 20 minutes later arrived on scene, where they discovered that two of the men were cold and one had an ankle injury - although a conflicting report via the Belfast Coastguard says only two men were found.

The men were transferred safely on to the lifeboat and taken to Dally Bay, from where they were taken by road to Stranraer Accident and Emergency Hospital.

But as BBC News reports, they were beset by further problems on their return trip to Northern Ireland later that evening, when the private vessel on which they were travelling also ran out of fuel and had to be towed to Red Bay in Co Antrim.

Belfast Coastguard confirmed to the BBC that the men had been travelling on their water scooter with "no navigational aids" and that "they could not get a signal from their mobile phone".

#RNLI - Clifden RNLI‘s Atlantic 75 lifeboat launched on Thursday afternoon 6 June in response to a coastguard request to assist in the transfer of a casualty from Inishbofin Island in Co Galway to the mainland.

A 61-year-old man, who was visiting the island, had sustained significant facial injuries following a fall from a bicycle. Clifden RNLI lifeboat helm James Mullen, a full-time paramedic, was able to assess the casualty’s injuries on arrival.

Having checked him over, he and the other voluntary crew members transported the man quickly and safely to Cleggan pier and an awaiting ambulance, which then transferred him to University College Hospital Galway for further treatment.

Mullen said of the launch: “I was glad to be available to assist on this callout to Inishbofin today. Our swift launch and recovery time is vital regarding our local islands, and while the casualty’s injuries were not life threatening, they were certainly serious enough to warrant urgent medical attention.”

Inishbofin Island is located five miles off the Connemara coast and is a popular summer holiday destination.

The Clifden RNLI lifeboats have undertaken many launches to and exercises around the island, including with the island’s main ferry. And as previously reported on Afloat.ie, the station was recently chosen to trial the new Mersey class all-weather lifebo

#RNLI - Larne RNLI was called out for assistance on two separate occasions this past week.

On Thursday night 6 June, the volunteer lifeboat Dr John McSparran responded to a request by Belfast Coastguard to assist a lone yachtsman who had become disorientated in sea fog.

Weather conditions at the time were described as flat calm with no wind at all. However, a sea fog had come down in the evening, and the man on board - having left Girvan in Scotland en route to Glenarm Marina in an old gaffer to celebrate the Old Gaffers Association's Golden Jubilee - got into difficulty.

The casualty was located becalmed seven miles east of The Maidens Lighthouse. Lifeboat crew members Martin Agnew and Scott Leitch were put on board to assist after it was discovered that the casualty's outboard engine had failed and the gaffer was making no headway against the tide.

It was decided by Coxswain Frank Healy to tow the casualty to Glenarm, keeping the two crew members on board to assist. The vessels and crews arrived in Glenarm at 1.30am.

Two nights before, Larne RNLI assisted two men after their motor boat got into difficulty on Belfast Lough.

The volunteer crew launched their inshore lifeboat, the Hannahbella Ferguson, at 8.15pm following a request to assist the speed boat which had sustained engine failure off Muck Island.

Two men, both wearing lifejackets, were on board. Weather conditions at the time were described as good with a flat calm sea.

The casualty boat was subsequently towed safely to shore by the lifeboat to Portmuck Harbour.

Crew on this call out included helm Willie Evans, Martin Agnew and Jay Torbitt.

#rnli – Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat were tasked to the aid of two young swimmers believed to be in trouble at Main Beach, Bundoran.

The alarm was raised by one of the lifeboat crew who happened to be at the beach and called the Coast Guard at Malin Head who immediately tasked the lifeboat. 6 minutes later the lifeboat made it to the scene to find the 2 young girls from County Leitrim had made it safely to the shore. Members of the Bundoran RNLI shore crew then treated the 2 girls for some cuts received during the incident.

Helming the lifeboat for Bundoran RNLI was Daimon Fergus who said 'we were happy to be able to assist the two girls in this instance. With the good weather, a lot more people are venturing into the water which is understandable but we would always advise bathers to keep water safety foremost in their mind. Watch out for tides and currents, never swim alone, always swim parallel to the shore and don't swim out of your depth'.