This morning at 09:31 am on Wednesday, August 7th, the Union Hall RNLI received a distress call to assist a 28-foot yacht that had lost power between Goat’s Head and Adam Island near the entrance of Glandore Harbour in West Cork. The yacht was in distress with two people onboard and had become entangled in lobster pots after drifting due to the power loss. The crew of the yacht promptly contacted the Coast Guard for assistance.
The volunteer crew of Union Hall RNLI, led by Helm Aodh O’Donnell and including Hugh McNulty, Cathal Deasy, and Nicola O’Donovan, quickly responded to the call aboard the inshore lifeboat Christine and Raymond Fielding. The sea conditions were favorable with calm waters, good visibility, and a westerly wind.
Upon arrival at the scene, the crew assessed the situation and made the decision to tow the stranded yacht to the nearest safe port, which happened to be Union Hall. A tow line was secured, and a crew member was transferred aboard the yacht. The vessel was then escorted to Union Hall, where it was safely tied up at the pier. The lifeboat subsequently returned to its station.
Following the successful rescue, Peter Deasy, Deputy Launching Authority of Union Hall RNLI, commended the crew aboard the yacht for their prompt actions, including wearing lifejackets and alerting the Valentia Coast Guard as soon as they encountered trouble. Deasy encouraged the public to visit www.rnli.org/safety for water safety advice and wished the yacht a safe onward journey from Union Hall.
In a special note, Deasy acknowledged Nicola O’Donovan for her first shout as a volunteer crew member at Union Hall RNLI, congratulating her and wishing her many years of service in saving lives at sea.