Achill Island RNLI came to the aid of an unmanned fishing trawler in severe weather conditions on Friday, August 11th, following a call from the Irish Coast Guard. The 36ft trawler was moored between Purteen Harbour and Inishgalloon at Achill Island and was in danger of drifting dangerously close to the rocky shore in stormy conditions, pulling its anchor in the process.
The volunteer crew of the all-weather lifeboat ‘Sam and Ada Moody’, led by Coxswain Dave Curtis and consisting of Michael Cattigan, Mechanic, Thomas Ruddy, Stephen McGreal, Ivan Swarbrigg, and Terry Hogarth, launched shortly before 1.30 pm. Despite storm force winds and 3-metre swells, the crew assessed the situation and decided to put two crew members on board the drifting trawler.
The trawler was then taken on tow and brought to another mooring nearby, where it was safely secured. The two crew members returned to the lifeboat, and the team made its way back to the station, arriving shortly before 4pm.
Achill Island RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, Ciaran Needham, praised the crew's bravery in challenging conditions, saying, "Our crew train for all eventualities and they were delighted to be able to come to the rescue of this vessel this afternoon. If you see someone, or some vessel in need of help, don’t ever hesitate to call the Coast Guard and ask for help. Our crew are always happy to respond when needed."
Thanks to the quick thinking and bravery of the Achill Island RNLI crew, the unmanned trawler was saved from certain disaster. The RNLI remains committed to providing a vital, life-saving service to all those in need, no matter the weather conditions.
