The Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat crew responded to a distress call from the Valentia Coast Guard Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre on Sunday evening.
Two separate speedboats, each carrying two individuals, had run into trouble off Blind Strand on the Seven Heads coastline in West Cork.
The All-Weather Shannon Class lifeboat “Val Adnams,” led by Coxswain Kevin Young and a crew of five, responded to the call for help. One of the boats had issued a mayday distress signal, reporting that it was in danger of sinking. Within 10 minutes, the lifeboat reached the incident area at 8:22 pm.
Local RIB owner Rory Conlon, who was cruising nearby, also heeded the call for help and played a crucial role in immediately assisting with the rescue operation. He helped pull one boat away from the rocky shore and aided in bailing water from the second boat.
Following stabilising the smaller vessel and contending with challenging offshore winds, the lifeboat secured the bigger speedboat for towing and deployed a crew member to the smaller craft. Both distressed boats were safely brought back to Courtmacsherry Pier, arriving just after 9:40 pm.