Castletownbere RNLI lifeboat was hosting its Open Day for the public beginning at 2.30pm yesterday afternoon when the pagers went off at 2.25! The lifeboat immediately launched to go to the assistance of a boat in difficulty.
A large number of adults and children had gathered to visit the lifeboat station and view the lifeboat yesterday afternoon. Instead, they got to witness the lifeboat launch and then had to wait for the lifeboat to return before going aboard.
Valentia Coastguard Maritime Coordination Rescue Centre requested assistance for a rib, with thirteen persons aboard, that had experienced mechanical breakdown. Castletownbere RNLI lifeboat ‘Annette Hutton’ was launched immediately under the command of Coxswain Dean Hegarty with mechanic David O’Donovan and crew John Paul Downey, Kyle Cronin, Andrew O’Neill and William Power.
The lifeboat located the stricken vessel at the Bardini Reefer, a wreck in Bearhaven Harbour between Bere Island and the mainland. The weather on-scene was described as ‘calm’. The thirteen divers, members of a university sub-aqua club, were found to be safe and well. The dive boat was unable to manoeuvre due to damage and the decision was made to tow the vessel as it posed a potential navigational hazard to other vessels. The divers were taken aboard the lifeboat and the damaged vessel towed to Castletownbere. At this point, the crowd patiently waiting to visit the lifeboat had grown, and, within fifteen minutes, the lifeboat was open to the public.
The Lifeboat Operations Manager, Paul Stevens, commented ‘The divers were very grateful to the lifeboat crew for their help. It is the first time we had a lifeboat open day without a lifeboat! Members of the public were able to view the lifeboat launch and return from a shout, and eventually go on board the boat. We were delighted to welcome over 200 visitors to the station yesterday – a significant number given that the RNLI is celebrating 200 years since its foundation in 1824.
