Twenty three people and a dog rescued from lake during six call outs
Volunteers from Lough Ree RNLI were called to assist 23 people on the lake in the past week.
The August Bank Holiday heralded the busiest week of the year for Lough Ree RNLI with the volunteer crew tasked to six callouts with 23 people and a dog on board boats in difficulty on the water.
On Saturday last (August 10th) there were two incidents. Just before 9 p.m. the lifeboat was tasked by the Irish Coast Guard to a private boat with eight people on board north of Hare Island.
Under volunteer helm Tom Bradbury, the lifeboat crew arrived at the scene at 9.25 p.m. to find an 18ft boat which had suffered engine failure. The five children and three adults on board, who were all wearing life jackets were all safe and well. Six people were taken to the lifeboat station at Coosan Point and two to Portaneena on board the charity’s lifeboat ‘Tara Scougall.’ Earlier on Saturday morning (August 10th) at 10.30 a.m. Lough Ree RNLI was alerted by a passing boat to assist a cruiser with four people on board, which had run aground. The lifeboat crew under volunteer helm Kieran Sloyan arrived at the scene at Bantry Bay. Following an inspection by the crew the boat was towed off the rocks to safe water.
Lough Ree RNLI lifeboat crew were on the water for over five hours in two separate callouts on Wednesday, August 6th At midday there was a call to assist a boat with one person on board, which had run aground near the RNLI lifeboat station and off Killinure Point. With volunteer helm Shane McCormack the lifeboat crew were quickly at the scene and found a 36ft cruiser aground at Gowlane Rock. Despite an operation lasting over an hour the lifeboat was unable to free the boat from the rock and a nearby barge was called to assist.
On Wednesday afternoon the Irish Coast Guard tasked Lough Ree RNLI to assist a vessel in difficulty on the north of the lake. Launched at 3.33 p.m. the lifeboat crew under volunteer helm Kieran Sloyan reached the incident on the Longford shore at 4 p.m.. On inspection the crew found a 40’ steel barge with four people on board stranded on rocks near Marker 502. The barge was taken under tow to Ballyleague, County Roscommon.
The busiest week of the year for Lough Ree RNLI began on Sunday, August 4th with a call to assist a private boat with four people on board which had suffered engine failure north of Hare Island. Under volunteer helm Liam Sheringham the vessel was taken under tow to Quigley’s Marina on the Leinster shore.
Yesterday, Sunday, August 11th at 4.20 p.m. a callout was received to a small tender adrift near Marker No. 5. On arrival at the scene the Lough Ree RNLI volunteer crew under helm found two people and a family pet on board. The boat was towed to Portrunny on the Roscommon shore for safety while the father, daughter and their dog were transferred by the lifeboat to Quigley’s Marina.
Commenting on a busy week Lough Ree RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager Kevin Ganly said: “It was great to note that all 23 people assisted this week were wearing life jackets when located by our volunteer lifeboat crews, it is so important the everyone on the water take adequate safety precautions. I also want to thank all of the Lough Ree RNLI volunteers, both on the water and on the shore who responded to the callouts over the period.”
