An Irish Coast Guard unit prevented a boat from crashing into a bridge in Co Clare last night.
The alarm was raised shortly after 7.00pm when a member of the public reported seeing a vessel drifting towards the bridge at Killaloe.
The boat was spotted close to Kincora Harbour and is believed to have broken free from its berth and drifted out onto Lough Derg.
The Killaloe unit of the Irish Coast Guard was alerted and quickly launched their rescue boat.
The crew raced to the scene and located a 19ft fishing boat drifting at speed with the strong current towards the river crossing. There was no one on board the craft.
The vessel got within 100 metres of the bridge before it was intercepted by the Coast Guard crew.
Volunteers pulled their boat alongside the drifting vessel and managed to get a line onto it and take it on tow.
The boat was safely towed back to Kincora Harbour where it was safely tied up by land crew members.
Efforts were continuing last night to identify the owner.