The Killaloe unit of the Irish Coast Guard was tasked this evening after a cruiser was reported to be in difficulty at Killaloe/Ballina Bridge.
At around 6.00pm, watch officers at the Coast Guard’s marine rescue sub centre on Valentia Island in Kerry paged the volunteer team and asked them to respond to the scene a short distance from their Pier Head based.
The team was told that cruiser boat with three persons on board had become stuck against the navigation markers in strong currents leading under Killaloe bridge.
Upon reaching the scene, a Coast Guard crew member was transferred on board the casualty vessel to confirm that all on board were safe and well and that the vessel had not sustained any damage. Once this was confirmed a tow line was set up.
The vessel was taken on tow to safer waters where the skipper was able to take control the vessel and make way to to the jetty in Killaloe where the cruiser was safely tied alongside. A Coast Guard shore team made their way to the scene by road and were standing by to assist.
At 7.15pm all personnel were stood down and returned to base.
Meanwhile, the Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter was involved in a rescue operation off the Kerry coast this evening. A half-decker boat with one person on board was reported missing off the southern coast of the Dingle Peninsula.
The Valentia RNLI lifeboat and the Dingle Cliff and Coastal Search Unit were tasked along with Rescue 115.
The boat with a 62-year-old fisherman on board was located and the sole occupant was found to have been injured. It’s understood the man had set out from Dingle earlier on his crab potting boat but, when he hadn’t returned to port when expected, the alarm was raised.
When located, the small boat was drifting in strong winds and large sea swells. The boat was taken on tow to Dingle Harbour by the Valentia lifeboat where National Ambulance Service paramedics were standing by to assess the man.
Rescue 115 remained on scene until a decision was made on whether the man needed to be airlifted to hospital for further treatment. It’s understood the casualty was transported to hospital by road.
Both operations were coordinated by watch officers at the Irish Coast Guard’s marine rescue sub centre on Valentia Island in Kerry.