#RNLI - Following last week's assisting of nine people in two separate yacht breakdown incidents, Arranmore RNLI were out again yesterday (10 July) to rescue a man and a woman from a 14ft punt off the Donegal coast.
The volunteer crew launched their lifeboat at 4.30pm following a report from Malin Head Coast Guard that the fibreglass punt had suffered a broken outboard engine and broken oar in the Crohy Head area.
The all-weather lifeboat, under coxswain Anton Kavanagh and with six crew on board, made its way to the scene at Trawenagh Bay, six miles out of Arranmore.
Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 118 was also tasked to the scene, and spotted the casualty vessel shortly after 5pm at the mouth of Trawenagh Bay.
Weather conditions at the time were good, with a calm sea and clear visibility.
At the scene the lifeboat crew transferred the punt's two passengers onto the safety of the lifeboat before returning them to shore.
Using the station's Y-class lifeboat, the crew towed the stricken punt to safety at Black Point slipway between Trawenagh and Crohy.
Speaking following the callout, Kavanagh said: "This was a joint operation between ourselves and the coastguard and we were happy to be able to return the two people safe and well back to Black Point slipway this evening."