Four people escaped injury this afternoon after a fire broke out on their cruise boat on the River Shannon.
The alarm was raised at around 5.00pm when the occupants of the cruiser contacted the Irish Coast Guard on Valentia Island in Kerry using their VHF radio. The boat was close to Banagher in Co Offaly at the time.
There were four people on board the vessel when a fire broke out in its engine exhaust system.
The Irish Coast Guard broadcast a message to other boats in the area to assist if they could while the fire service and Shannon based search and rescue helicopter were alerted and mobilised to the area.
The skipper of the vessel reported that he still had power and was making his way to the harbour in Banagher.
The boat was able to safely moor in Banagher where it was met by fire service crews and ambulance paramedics.
The boat was quickly evacuated while fire crews dealt with the fire.
The blaze was quickly brought under control and no one on board was injured in the incident.