Three fishermen were brought to safety on Saturday evening (14 January) by the crew of the Wicklow RNLI lifeboat after their 15-metre vessel developed mechanical problems while fishing for whelk off the Wicklow coast.
The all-weather lifeboat RNLB Joanna and Henry Williams slipped its moorings at the south quay at 11:30 am, following a crew pager alert and proceeded north to the casualty's last reported position.
At 12:15 pm, the drifting fishing vessel with three crew was located near the East Codling buoy. Weather conditions in the area were sea state rough with a three-metre swell; the wind was strong gusting north easterly force 7- 8 at times.
Coxswain Ciaran Doyle assessed the vessel, which was found to have engine failure. As the vessel had no propulsion and was unable to return to port under its power and with the deteriorating weather, it was decided the best course of action was to tow the vessel back to Wicklow.
A towline was established, and the course was set for Wicklow harbour at 12:45 pm.
Speaking after the callout, Coxswain Ciaran Doyle said, “We located the fishing vessel drifting 18 miles north-east of Wicklow harbour, conditions at the scene were challenging, but the crew worked well and had no difficulties preparing a towline. The tow home was slow due to the weather, and we had to adjust the towline on a couple of occasions to suit the conditions.”
The fishing vessel was brought alongside the east pier at Wicklow harbour at 5:30 pm and the three fishermen were landed safely ashore.
This is the first callout of 2023 for the Wicklow RNLI lifeboat volunteer crew. When going afloat, we would remind everyone to check their engine and fuel, always wear a lifejacket or buoyancy aid, and carry a means of calling for help. If you see someone in difficulty on or near the water, dial 999 and ask for the Coast Guard".
