Wicklow RNLI brought three fishermen to safety on Wednesday morning (6 September) after their vessel developed mechanical problems north-east of Wicklow Harbour.
Under the command of coxswain Alan Goucher, the all-weather lifeboat Joanna and Henry Williams slipped its mooring at 8.55am to reports of a fishing boat with engine failure.
The volunteer lifeboat crew located the casualty vessel 35 minutes after launching in a position some 12 miles northeast of Wicklow Harbour.
Conditions on scene had a mild Force 1 north-eastery wind and moderate calm seas, but visibility was incredibly poor at only 100 metres.
After an assessment of the situation was carried out by the coxswain, it was decided a tow was the best option given the casualty vessel’s engine failure.
The tow was established and a course set for Wicklow Harbour, with the casualty vessel being secured alongside at 11am.
Speaking after the call-out, Goucher said: “The visibility on scene was incredibly poor and it required extensive navigation skills to safely find the casualty and her crew.
“All the volunteer crew’s training for these types of conditions was put to very good use today.
“We would like to remind everyone to have an effective means of communication in case of an emergency. That communication helped us locate the casualty today.”
