In their second callout of the May Bank Holiday weekend, Lough Derg RNLI launched on Sunday evening (30 April) to a cruiser aground on the Galway shore of the lough.
The request from Valentia Coast Guard followed a report from a member of the public that a 40ft cruiser was aground inside Rabbit Island and the Split Rock navigation mark near Rossmore Quay.
At 6.13pm the inshore lifeboat Jean Spier launched with helm Owen Cavanagh, Eleanor Hooker and Joe O’Donoghue on board. Winds were westerly, Force 3/4 and visibility was good.
Twelve minutes later the RNLI lifeboat volunteers could see the casualty vessel inside Rabbit Island close to Rossmore Quay.
The lifeboat crew navigated through safe water to the casualty vessel and was alongside at 6.35pm.
There were six people on board, all safe and unharmed. They were requested to put on their lifejackets. A RNLI lifeboat crew member transferred across to the casualty vessel and checked under the floorboards to confirm that the vessel was not holed.
Given the location and the weather, the helm made the decision to take the vessel off the shoal and asked crew to set up for a tow. The skipper of the casualty vessel was requested to empty its water tanks to lighten the boat.
Having established that it was not possible to take the vessel off the shoal from the bow of the casualty vessel, it was decided that four of the passengers would use their tender to take them to Rossmore Quay, their intended destination, close by. A passing fishing vessel took the remaining two passengers.
Two experienced mariners offered support in their RIB and were asked to accompany the fishing vessel and the tender to shore.
With an RNLI volunteer remaining on the casualty vessel, the lifeboat took back in all lines and established the bridle and tow on the stern of the cruiser which was then freed from the shoal and towed out in to safe water.
All drives, forward and astern, and the rudder were found to be in good working order. A second RNLI volunteer boarded the casualty vessel to prepare mooring lines while it made way under its own power to Rossmore Quay. By 7.42pm the cruiser was safely tied alongside at Rossmore Quay and the lifeboat departed the scene.
Christine O’Malley, lifeboat operations manager at Lough Derg RNLI advises boat owners to “plot your course and remain within the navigation channel. Always carry a means of communication so that if you find yourself in difficulty you can call 112 or 999 and ask for marine rescue.”
On Friday afternoon the inshore lifeboat at Lough Derg was called to assist a fishing vessel with two on board that ran aground at Castlelough, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.
