Three fishermen were brought to safety by Valentia RNLI on Thursday afternoon (29 June) after their nets were caught in the propeller of their 14m fishing boat.
At 3.17pm, Valentia Coast Guard requested Valentia RNLI’s volunteer crew to launch their all-weather lifeboat and to go to the aid of the three fishermen two miles west of Inishvickillane in the Blasket Islands.
Weather conditions at the time we described as moderate with a 3-4m sea swell and a Force 5-6 westerly wind.
Arriving on scene, the coxswain carried out an assessment of the vessel and it was decided the best course of action was to tow the vessel to the nearest safe port at Portmagee harbour.
The call-out was the third in a week for the Valentia lifeboat crew, following two the previous weekend.
Last Saturday (24 June) the volunteer crew launched the lifeboat at 11.35pm to assist a sole sailor in difficulty on a 37ft yacht two miles north west of Kells Bay.
The sailor was assessed by the crew at the scene and found to be suffering from exhaustion. A decision was made to tow the casualty to the safety of Valentia Harbour.
On Sunday (25 June) Valentia RNLI launched to reports of a swimmer in difficulty at Coumeenoole Beach, Slea Head. The volunteers were stood down two minutes after launch as the casualty was picked up by a nearby boat.
Speaking following the call-outs, Valentia RNLI lifeboat press officer Michelle O’Shea said: “Our recent call-outs all had positive outcomes. As summer is well under way, we would like to remind all users of the sea to be as prepared before going to sea.
“We would encourage all should you get into trouble or see someone else in difficulty, to dial 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.”