A yacht drifted across the busy shipping lanes of the Shannon Estuary overnight after breaking its moorings in strong winds.
The alarm was raised shortly after 9 o’clock this morning when the crew of the Shannon to Tarbert car ferry reported a yacht adrift in the shipping channel.
Staff at the Irish Coast Guard’s marine rescue sub centre on Valentia Island were alerted and they mounted an operation to locate and secure the yacht.
The Kilrush RNLI lifeboat was tasked at around 9.20am and requested to respond and investigate the report.
The volunteer lifeboat crew launched in gale force winds and located the yacht at around 9.50am. The craft was found close to the car ferry jetty at Killimer on the Clare side of the Estuary. The yacht had drifted across the Estuary overnight.
The lifeboat crew quickly established a tow and prevented the yacht from running aground or into the jetty. The vessel was towed back across the estuary to Tarbert where the it was safely secured.
Kilrush RNLI Lifeboat spokesman Charlie Glynn said: ‘Weather conditions were challenging but our volunteer crews were well prepared. We would like to thank Shannon Ferry for their assistance this morning in locating the vessel.’