Five people were rescued after their cruise boat suffered engine failure on Lough Derg yesterday in the fourth incident on the lake in a week.
A total of thirteen people have been rescued in four separate incidents in the past six days after their boats ran aground, lost power or were caught up in poor weather.
In the latest incident, at lunchtime yesterday, the Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat rescued five people on board a 49ft (15m) yacht which was initially reported to have run aground by Castletown Harbour on the Clare shore.
Despite a thorough search the lifeboat failed locate any vessel matching the description provided anywhere in the area.
After staff at the Irish Coast Guard’s marine rescue coordination centre on Valentia Island in Kerry made radio contact with the casualty vessel, it was established the yacht had drifted south towards Church Bay.
The lifeboat located the boat at Parkers Point after it had drifted across the lake to the Tipperary Shore. The vessel had suffered engine failure.
All five people on board were found to be safe and unharmed but were requested to put on their lifejackets.
An RNLI volunteer was transferred to the powerless boat and quickly established that it had lost both power and steering. The boat was taken under tow to the closest harbour, Garrykennedy, where it was safely tied alongside.
Deputy Launching Authority, Peter Kennedy said: “The crew dealt with the challenge very efficiently, considering the size of the boat, and given its total loss of power and steering.”
Yesterday’s incident was the fourth in less than a week after three emergencies last weekend that saw eight people rescued.
Last Friday night two men were rescued by the Killaloe unit of the Irish Coast Guard after they got into difficulty in strong winds and rough water close to Two Mile Gate shore. They had been in a small lake boat and unable to make it back to their cruiser which was anchored nearby.
A short time later, Killaloe Coast Guard and the Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat were called out after a 23ft cruise with people on board ran aground near Mountshannon.
Less than 24 hours later, on Saturday evening, the Killaloe Coast Guard was called out again to another cruise boat in difficulty. The 38 foot cruiser with 4 people on board ran aground in Tinerana Bay also on Lough Derg.
In all cases the occupants were unharmed and their vessels were towed to safety.