Baltimore RNLI was called out on Thursday evening to provide assistance to a yacht with two people on board.
The volunteer lifeboat crew, who were already at the lifeboat station and about to go on exercise, launched their inshore lifeboat at 7pm, following a request from the Irish Coast Guard to go to the assistance of a 12m sailing yacht that had suffered engine failure just south east of Kedge Island, which is just a mile from the entrance to the harbour.
Baltimore inshore lifeboat with Pat O’Driscoll at the helm, arrived at the casualty vessel at 7.15pm. The crew assessed the situation and decided that a tow was necessary.
Volunteer crew member Kieran O’Driscoll was put aboard the casualty vessel to assist in rigging a tow and once established, the inshore lifeboat, with the casualty vessel under tow, proceeded to the harbour.
A second volunteer crew member, Rob O’Leary, was transferred on to the casualty vessel to assist with securing the yacht to the pontoon and once they made sure that the sailors were happy the lifeboat returned to the station, arriving at 8.45pm. RNLI volunteer Ian Lynch also assisted as did Tom Kelly and Seamus O’Driscoll at the station.
Speaking after the call out, which was carried out in calm conditions with a westerly Force 3 wind, Pat O’Driscoll said: ‘Due to the position the yacht was in when we arrived, we decided a tow was necessary and the safest option to assist them.'
Please remember if you get into difficulty at sea, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.
