The volunteer crew of the Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat have assisted four people after their boat ran aground on the lake this afternoon.
At 5.35pm, watch officers at the Irish Coat Guards’s marine rescue sub centre on Valentia Island in Kerry requested Lough Derg RNLI to go to the assistance of four people on a 32ft cruiser that had run aground by Parker’s Point, on the Tipperary shore.
The lifeboat launched a short time later in good visibility and a north-easterly, Force 3 wind.
Initially there was some uncertainty regarding the casualty vessel’s location. The first report was that it was aground off Cribby Island, near Mountshannon on the County Clare shore. However, as the lifeboat approached the search area, the crew spotted a boat fitting the description of the casualty vessel close to the Tipperary shore, off Parker’s Point.
As the approach to the casualty vessel was particularly rocky, the lifeboat crew used navigation charts and depth soundings as it neared the cruiser, and was alongside at 6.10pm. The four people on board, two adults, an infant and a child, were all safe and unharmed and wearing their lifejackets.
An RNLI crew member was transferred to the casualty boat and once he was satisfied the boat was not holed, set up for a tow. The lifeboat towed the vessel from the stern as rocks off the bow were visible above water.
Once in safe water and with the assistance of the RNLI crew member on board, the skipper made sure all drives and the propeller were in good working order. The lifeboat accompanied the cruiser to Garrykennedy, the safest, closest harbour, where, at 7pm, an RNLI volunteer helped to secure the boat safely alongside the quay.
Jeremy Freeman, Deputy Launching Authority at Lough Derg RNLI said: “We would advise boat owners to ensure they study your charts and remain within the navigation channels.”