In the early hours of this morning, the Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat was launched to search for two people reported not to have reached their intended destination when expected.
The pair had set out on a boat from Portumna, Co Galway bound for Mountshannon in Clare seven hours earlier. The alarm was raised when they didn’t arrive in Mountshannon when expected.
At 01.39am the Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat launched in search of the pair. It was a moonless, starless night so volunteers used local knowledge and all their electronic equipment on board to navigate the dark.
As the lifeboat was launching, watch officers at the Irish Coast Guard’s marine rescue coordination centre on Valentia Island in Kerry, requested the RNLI volunteers begin their search at Mountshannon, at the southwestern end of the lake, and to take a route north towards Portumna.
At 01.48am, at the same time as the RNLI volunteer monitoring RADAR detected an object in the water, one of the volunteers on watch pointed to a fleeting white outline in the dark. The crew used their search light and determined that it was the casualty vessel. The vessel was adrift in open water near to Garrykennedy.
When the lifeboat came alongside, volunteers found that both casualties were safe and unharmed. They were requested to put on their lifejackets.
The helm decided to take the casualty vessel on an alongside tow to Garrykennedy Harbour, the closest safe harbour. An RNLI volunteer transferred across to the casualty vessel and set up for the tow and then returned to the lifeboat. The skipper was requested to lift their outboard engine to reduce drag.
The RNLI volunteer navigating gave the helm coordinates for a safe route to Garrykennedy and as the lifeboat approached the mouth of the harbour, a volunteer used the search light at the bow as an additional aid.
At 02.25am the vessel was safely tied alongside at Garrykennedy. Lifeboat crew made contact with a friend of the casualties and arranged for them to be collected.
Peter Kennedy, Deputy Launching Authority at Lough Derg RNLI advises boat uses to “ensure you have sufficient fuel for your journey and always carry a means of communication. Plan your route to arrive at your destination before nightfall. Should you need assistance, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.”
