THE Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat crew were called out last night, at 8pm, by the Valentia Coast Guard marine rescue co-ordination centre, to go to the immediate aid of two speedboats with two persons on board which had got into difficulties in separate incidents off Blind Strand on the Seven Heads coastline.
The all-weather Shannon class lifeboat Val Adnams, under coxswain Kevin Young and a crew of five, assembled quickly when the Coast Guard alerted all that one of the boats had put out its mayday message that they were in danger of sinking. Underway in less that 10 minutes, the lifeboat reached the area of the causalties at 8.22pm.
Local RIB owner Rory Conlon, who was cruising nearby also responded to the request on the Mayday call for help and was a vital link in being on scene immediately to help pull the first boat away from the rocky shore and help with the bailout of water from the second boat.
Once stability was regained on the smaller vessel, and with a difficult offshore wind blowing off Blind Strand, the lifeboat crew decided to secure the bigger speedboat, which had developed mechanical difficulties, in a towing position and put a member of the lifeboat crew onto the smaller craft.
Both causalities were brought back to the safe surrounds of the Courtmacsherry Pier, arriving just after 9.40pm. The Courtmacsherry RNLI lifeboat operations manager Brian O’Dwyer said that it was good that all ended well after ‘what could have been very dangerous incidents for all concerned’.
He added that the fast response of local Rory Conlon to the call for help on the VHF radio Mayday call was vital and pleaded with everyone at sea on boats to make sure that lifejackets are worn at all times and call for help immediately by dialling 112 or 999 and asking for the Coast Guard.
The crew returned to their mooring at just after 10pm. The crew were coxswain Kevin Young, mechanic Tadgh McCarthy and crew members Simon Locke, Denis Murphy, Dean Hennessey and Taylor Murphy.
For Taylor Murphy it was his first callout on the Val Adnams after completing his intensive recruitment training over the past 18 months.It was a special one for him, as he was accompanied by family members (Dean Hennessey), including his father Denis.
