#rnli – Howth and Dun Laoghaire RNLI rescued five rowing skiffs in Dublin Bay last weekend when wind against tide conditions off the Kish bank threatened a local coastal rowing race.
Both All-Weather Lifeboats from Howth RNLI and Dun Laoghaire RNLI were tasked by Dublin Coastguard to assist five rowing skiffs just after 5pm according to Howth lifeboat.
Nine skiffs, each with 5 people onboard, participating in a rowing race which started from Dun Laoghaire and took them around the Kish lighthouse and back to Dun Laoghaire again. Due to the variable weather conditions and with there being quite choppy sea a number of the participants got into difficulty.
Howth lifeboat arrived on scene at 1741 and became On-Scene-Commander of the search and rescue operation.
They were joined shortly after by Dun Laoghaire's all weather lifeboat, rescue 116, Dublin Ports pilot boats 1 and 2 along with a yacht and fishing vessel.
A 'box' search was carried out one mile north and south of the Kish Lighthouse and all 5 skiffs and their crews were located and brought back to Dun Laoghaire Harbour.
On arrival the casualties were met by Dun Laoghaire coastguard unit and 2 HSE ambulances to treat a number of the casualties for hypothermia and one with a head injury.