Update:
Sunday – 11.15am:
A short time later the sailboat was seen leaving Mountshannon again however it quickly got into difficulty for a second time. It’s understood the sailor was attempting to make his way out to deeper water to tie up at one of several anchor points in the bay. Within minutes however, the yacht found itself stranded in shallow water again.
The Coast Guard was alerted several hours later after a member of the public observed the yacht and became concerned.
Killaloe Coast Guard was alerted at around 11.15pm and proceeded to the scene to find it was the same vessel they had assisted earlier. The crew again removed the stranded yacht from rocks and towed it back into Mountshannon Harbour.
Earlier: A lone sailor was towed to safety in a joint Irish Coast Guard/RNLI operation on Lough Derg this evening.
Volunteers from the Killaloe unit of the Coast Guard along with the Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat out of Dromineer were alerted at around 6.15pm following reports of 30-foot yacht aground in Scarriff Bay close to the Clare shore.
Both rescue boats proceeded to the area and quickly located the casualty vessel.
A crew member from Killaloe Coast Guard boarded the sail boat to check that the occupant was safe and whether the vessel had been damaged.
The crew of the Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat remained on scene until a full assessment of the vessel was completed. Once it was confirmed the boat was undamaged the RNLI crew was stood down and returned to their station at Dromineer.
In the meantime, the yacht was taken on tow by Killaloe Coast Guard and brought to Mountshannon Harbour. Once the casualty vessel was safely tied alongside, the Coast Guard crew was also stood down.
Winds in the area were south/south-easterly, Force 5 while visibility was reported to be good.
Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat helm Dom Sharkey said afterwards: “We always want boat users to enjoy the lake but they should to make sure they check weather forecasts for Lough Derg and let someone know when then expect to reach harbour.”
“Remember always to carry a means of communication, such as VHF marine radio and/or mobile phone,” he added.
The operation was coordinated by watch officers at the Irish Coast Guard’s marine rescue sub centre (MRSC) on Valentia island in Kerry.
Visit Killaloe Coast Guard unit’s Facebook page here and Lough Derg RNLI here.
Meanwhile, the Doolin unit of the Irish Coast Guard assisted the National Ambulance Service in an operation in Doolin on Friday afternoon.
The Doolin volunteer team was tasked staff at MRSC Valentia to assist an HSE ambulance at Doolin pier.
A surfer sustained a knee injury while surfing Aileen’s wave at the Cliffs of Moher. The casualty was assisted by the team and handed over to the ambulance crew when they arrived. The casualty was removed to University Hospital Limerick for treatment.
Visit the Doolin Coast Guard Facebook page here.