A rescue mission had to be launched by the RNLI on Sunday afternoon to assist three people on board a 35ft cruiser that was stranded with an injured person on board.
At 3.25 pm Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat, Jean Spier, was launched with helm Eleanor Hooker, Doireann Kennedy, Joe O’Donoghue, and Tom Hayes on board to Dromineer Bay.
When they arrived on location, rescuers were unable to locate the vessel and had to determine its exact location by speaking with the vessel’s occupants to identify nearby landmarks.
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At 3.33 pm, with additional information from the Valentia Coast Guard, the lifeboat located the 35ft cruiser at the southern end of Illaunmor.
As the lifeboat neared the cruiser at 3:41 pm, it was clear from the sight of blood on the diving platform that someone on the casualty vessel had suffered an injury.
According to a statement from rescuers: “One person on board had been in the water in bare feet to assess their situation and had suffered lacerations to their foot.”
The other two people were safe and unharmed and were all asked to put on their life jackets.
Two RNLI volunteers jumped aboard the casualty vessel to come to the aid of the injured person. Once the RNLI volunteers were satisfied the injured party had no other injuries, he was instructed to remain seated with his foot elevated.
“The casualty vessel had grounded, bow up on a rocky shoal,” the statement read, so an RNLI volunteer checked under the floorboards and in the engine housing to make certain that the vessel was not holed, “then set up an astern tow after being requested to do so by the helm.”
At 4.10 pm the lifeboat attempted to take the casualty vessel off the shoal but it was stuck fast, so the helm made the decision to take all people off the boat and to the safety of Dromineer.
They then booked accommodation for the three people at Lough Derg House in Dromineer, while an RNLI volunteer secured the vessel and deployed the anchor.
All three people were assisted onto the lifeboat and taken to Dromineer where, at 5.00 pm, they were met by the proprietor of Lough Derg House. The shore crew also made contact with the cruiser company to arrange for the recovery of the casualty vessel before the lifeboat left the scene.
Peter Kennedy, Deputy Launching Authority at Lough Derg RNLI advises boat users to ‘keep to the navigation route on your charts and keep a constant lookout’.
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