Tipperary lifeboat called to action amid solo sailor crisis situation

Yesterday afternoon, Monday, April 14, following an alert from a member of the public on shore, Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat to launch to assist a lone sailor on a 21ft yacht aground on a sandbank, northeast of Dromineer.

At 12:29pm Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat Jean Spier launched with helm Steve Smyth, crew Joe O’Donoghue, James Corballis and Chris Parker on board.

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The wind was south-westerly, Force 3 gusting F4.

Visibility was good.

At 12.22pm the lifeboat could see the casualty vessel resting on a sandbank close to the shore. The skipper had dropped anchor to prevent further drift.

An RNLI volunteer waded in and found the person on board to be safe and unharmed and wearing their lifejacket.

The casualty vessel was found not to have any ingress of water or damage to its hull.

Given the yacht’s location and the possibility of initiating another emergency response should the vessel be left where it was, the helm made the decision to take the vessel off the sandbank and under an astern tow to safe water.

The lifeboat informed Valentia Coast Guard of this decision.

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Once in safe water, RNLI volunteers changed the tow to an alongside tow before entering Dromineer Harbour, the closest safe haven.

At 12:52pm the casualty vessel was safely tied alongside in Dromineer Harbour.

The lifeboat departed the scene and was back at station at 13.02pm

Christine O’Malley, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Lough Derg RNLI, advises boat users to ‘always carry a means of communications with you, and should you get into difficulties call 112 or 999 and ask for the Coast Guard’.