#rnil – A French yacht with a fouled propelller  on passage to Kinsale in foggy conditions has been towed safely to Crosshaven in Co. Cork by the RNLI. At 7.20pm last night, Valentia Coast Guard tasked Crosshaven RNLI lifeboat to assist a 12m yacht with two people on board, 2 miles south of Power Head that had a fouled propellor. Weather conditions at the time were calm with heavy fog banks rolling off the coast.

Roberts Head is midway between the mouth of Cork Harbour and Kinsale the French registered yacht was on passage to Kinsale when they became entangled in an old lobster pot line and were effectively anchored. Crosshaven Lifeboat under the command of Ian Venner with crew Ritchie Kelleher and Vincent Fleming cut away the line and took the yacht in tow, arriving back in Crosshaven some 2 hours later.

The yacht was safely berthed at the Boatyard.

#rnli – The annual family fun day was held on Ballycotton pier to raise funds for Ballycotton lifeboat yesterday on bank holiday Sunday afternoon. At 12:30 the lifeboat station received a call from a rib with engine failure east of Ballycotton lighthouse and requesting assistance. The lifeboat crew abandoned their posts on Ballycotton pier and proceeded to the all weather lifeboat moored in the harbour. The Ballycotton lifeboat, Austin Lidbury, proceeded east of the lighthouse and reached the rib with four persons on board. The pleasure craft was taken under tow to Ballycotton harbour, where they were closely observed by visitors on the pier attending the fundraising activities.

The afternoon was a hit with the many visitors being able to observe a live rescue. Among the afternoon's activities was "Rock the Boat" which took place at 3:00pm, with in excess of 100 people taking part to fulfil a condition of a sponsor who offered €100 if 100 people or more took part. A short video clip of this is available to view on the Ballycotton Lifeboat website www.ballycottonlifeboat.org. At 3:45pm the Waterford based Coast Guard helicopter did a fly-by over the pier. Conditions were not suitable to demonstrate a lift of a person from the Ballycotton lifeboat which was going through manoeuvres in Ballycotton Bay.

At 5pm the visitors moved from the pier to the village to continue the fundraising activities with a wet t-shirt competition in the Blackbird. The event rounded up a weekend of fundraising events for the Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat, which included a football competition on Thursday evening, a table quiz in the Schooner Bar on Friday and a family treasure hunt and Pitch "n" Putt competition on bank holiday Saturday. The organisers and volunteer crew appreciated the support they received during the long weekend of fundraising events from both sponsors and supporters.

#lifeboat – Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat launched tonight to assist 4 people whose cruiser was grounded and who abandoned their vessel to a small tender.

On Friday evening August 3 at 17.25hrs, Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat was requested to launch to assist four persons who abandoned their vessel to a small tender, after the cruiser grounded in Carrigahorig Bay, near Terrglass at the northern end of Lough Derg.

The lifeboat with Helm Peter Clarke, Ger Egan and Ben Ronayne on board, were already afloat assisting with the ongoing search in Garrykennedy.  The lifeboat made way immediately to assist.  It is reported that all four persons are safe and well.  The rescue is ongoing.

#lifeboat – Last night at 21.19hrs, Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat was launched to investigate a vessel upturned in Youghal Bay, close to Garrykennedy. At 21.34hrs, the lifeboat launched with Helm Peter Clarke, Colin Knight and David Moore on board. Winds were southwesterly, Force 2, and visibility was good, but failing quickly with nightfall.

At 21.50 the lifeboat was alongside the upturned vessel, a 20ft speedboat.  It was reported to have extensive damage to the outdrive and propellers, consistent with damage whilst underway.  The lifeboat began a search of the area.  Meanwhile the Killaloe Coast Guard unit launched from their base and the Irish Coast Guard Search and Rescue Helicopter took off from their base at Shannon to assist in the search.

Lifeboat crew, committee members and volunteers set off in teams to search the shoreline. There were no reports of anyone overdue, and attempts are ongoing to discover who might own the boat.

An extensive search of the water and shoreline didn't reveal anything. The speedboat was taken to Garrykennedy and is being investigated by Garda specialists.

The search was called off and all teams returned to their bases. A search is underway this again this morning.

The Lifeboat returned to station and was ready for service again 01.00hrs.

Lifeboat Operations Manager, Charles Stanley Smith thanked everyone for their assistance on the search saying that he was 'extremely pleased with the level of co-operation by all of the emergency services on the lake, as well as offers of help from the public'.

#rnli – Two young teenagers were rescued last night by the Crosshaven RNLI lifeboat after being cut off by the tide at Fort Camden. The two boys tried to make their way to safety across the rocks as the tide came in and wisely retreated back to the safety of Camden pier when they realized they were putting themselves in danger. The boys contacted the Coast Guard at Valentia who requested the volunteer crew to launch Crosshaven lifeboat at 10.15pm, to assist. The two youths were brought back to the lifeboat station at Crosshaven and required no further assistance.

#rnli – Lough Derg Lifeboat assisted 3 persons aboard a 27ft cruiser who got into difficulties after they believed they glanced off rocks.

Whilst out on exercise on Thursday evening July 26th Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat was requested by Valentia Coast Guard to assist 3 persons on board a 27ft crusier, who believed they had glanced off rocks and were is great distress.  The cruiser was located at the northern end of the lake, in Portumna.  At 20.00hrs the lifeboat, with Helm Eleanor Hooker, Dom Sharkey and Ben Ronayne on board made way immediately to their location.  They requested the Coast Guard to issue a Pan Pan requesting any vessels in the area to go to the cruiser's assistance. Winds were West southwest, Force 4 with a moderate swell.Visibility was very good.

At 20.29hrs, Valentia Coast Guard informed the lifeboat that the vessel had turned round and was making it's way back up river to Portumna Bridge. At 20.37hrs the lifeboat met the cruiser at the river near Portumna, where they were tied safely alongside.  The three persons were unharmed but greatly distressed.  They were reassured by crew and the boat was inspected for damage.  None was found.  Lifeboat crew continued to chat to the people, who when  calm made the decision to stay put for the night.

Helm Eleanor Hooker commended crew members Ben Ronayne and Dom Sharkey for the kind and gentle manner in which the dealt with very distressed persons.

The lifeboat returned to station and was ready for service again at 21.45

#lifeboat – Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat was this morning (Monday 23rd July) called to assist a small 17ft yacht which had been drifting off Mullaghmore, County Sligo.

The initial call came from Malin Head Coastguard around 8.50am who had received a call from another vessel to say that they had found the yacht drifting and had tied it up at a mooring, however it needed to be made more secure. Bundoran Lifeboat was then paged to the scene and took the vessel under tow under to a new mooring closer to Mullaghmore Harbour. It was then secured.

Helming the lifeboat was RNLI Volunteer Elliot Kearns who said 'when we got there the yacht had become separated from its mooring. We then took it under tow and tied it up at a mooring in the outer harbour. Not all of our callouts are to people in trouble and on this occasion we were happy to assist this vessel'

#RNLI –  A surprise return visit to the Aran Islands was made recently by former Galway Bay RNLI lifeboat Frank Spiller Locke.  This restored Barnett class lifeboat was stationed at the Aran Islands from 1977 to 1985.  She was previously stationed at Weymouth on the south coast of England.  During her years of lifeboat service she was launched 396 times and saved 181 lives.

The lifeboat was funded through a legacy from Dr. Frank Spiller Locke.  RNLI records show that his widow Mrs E. F. Locke took a strong interest in the work of the lifeboat and her volunteer crew and asked for the returns of service for every callout to be sent to her until her death.

The vessel was built in Cowes during 1958 at a cost of £38,500. It was a Barnett class lifeboat, which was introduced into the RNLI in 1950. Twenty of these 52 ft lifeboats were built by the charity. The institution retired and sold this lifeboat in 1986 and she was rescued sometime later by Colin and Janet Sturmer who are from the Isles of Scilly. They dedicated ten years to restoring this boat to its original form.

Pictured on the deck of the former Galway Bay lifeboat in yellow jackets are members of the current Aran Islands RNLI crew who also served on the Frank Spiller Locke lifeboat (L-R) Mairtin Fitz, Micheal O Goill, Johnny Mulkerrin, Enda Mullen.

"It was a lovely surprise to see this lifeboat in the Bay where she used to anchor in the 1980s" said Micheal Heron Aran Islands RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager.

The two lifeboats, retired and current were moored side by side so that past and present crew could look over it. Four of the current lifeboat crew who served on the Frank Spiller Locke, Mairtin Fitzpatrick, Michéal Ó Goill, Johnny Mulkerrin and Enda Mullen, were joined by retired crewmembers Paddy Mullen, Bartley Mullen (Coxswain/Mechanic), Jackie Gill and Tomas Kelly. Many local people also came for a look and remembered stories of times that they or their families needed this lifeboat

Commenting on the visit, serving crewmember Micheal Gill added "there are a lot of differences in the speed and technology of these older boats. She served the west coast well at a time when there were only three lifeboats from Donegal to South Kerry and no helicopters.

This boat is a valuable piece of our maritime heritage, which has been lovingly restored bye Colin and Janet. Hopefully it will visit the west coast again in the future."

#rnli – A family outing to Cape Clear Island became a distress call this evening. The Merry Fisher 6.5 metre motorboat experienced difficulties with her fuel line when en route from Cape Clear Island to White Hall. Taking precautionary action the skipper dropped an anchor and called for assistance. At 18:40 RNLI Helm Micheál Cottrell onboard the Atlantic 75  inshore lifeboat Bessie with crew Diarmuid Collins and Gerald O'Brien made their way to the Western tip of Sherkin Island, where the vessel had dropped anchor near Drolaun Rock. There were five people, two adults and three children, on board the boat at the time. The lifeboat took the vessel in tow returning four of the family of five to Cunnamore Pier and then bringing the boat and skipper back to her moorings at White Hall. The inshore lifeboat returned to Baltimore Harbour at 19:45.

#rnli – Volunteer lifeboat crews received a urgent request from Belfast Coastguard on Thursday to launch Bangor and Donaghadee lifeboats and give vital medical assistance to a women who had fallen on the Copeland Island.

Within minutes of the rescue pagers being activated, crews had launched both Lifeboats and were proceeding at full speed towards the big Copeland Island which lies to the north of Donaghadee.

Upon arrival volunteer crew found a woman in her 30's with a serious head injury.

RNLI crewman Dr Iain Dobbie along with fellow crew quickly administered first aid.

Once medically stabilised the woman was placed in a basket stretcher and carried over the rocks to Bangor Lifeboat.

With fine weather conditions and Dr Dobbie onboard, the Lifeboat proceeded back to Bangor were the women was transferred into the care of waiting paramedics.

Dr Dobbie, a volunteer crewman onboard RNLI Bangor Lifeboat praised the actions of both crews. He said 'The dedication and commitment of Donaghadee and Bangor crews is evident in the professional manner in which they worked together in providing medical assistance to this injured lady ' He added 'We all wish her a full and speedy recovery'