The volunteer crew of the Kilrush RNLI lifeboat launched this morning following reports of a vessel in difficulty off in the Shannon Estuary Querrin in West Clare.
The alarm was raised at around 11.30am when a person on the shore reported that a catamaran with two people on board appeared to be in difficulty of Corlis Point.
Watch officers at the Irish Coast Guard’s marine sub centre on Valentia Island in Kerry alerted Kilrush RNLI and requested them to launch and proceed to the area.
The casualty vessel, a five metre sailing catamaran, was located within minutes. Due to technical issues, the two occupants were unable to right the vessel and were drifting with the tide. The occupants were unharmed and the crew of Kilrush RNLI assisted in righting, and escorted the vessel back to Poulnasherry Bay, where they originally launched.
Kilrush RNLI was then stood down and returned to station at 1pm.
Meanwhile, Last Wednesday, Kilrush RNLI responded to a report that a speedboat was drifting between Glin and Tarbert on the Shannon Estuary and was a danger to navigation. Kilrush RNLI located and towed the vessel, which had no occupants, to Tarbert Island.
Charlie Glynn, Kilrush RNLI Helm said: ‘During COVID-19 restrictions Kilrush RNLI’s readiness to launch has not changed and continue to be fully operational and on call 24/7. Our two main priorities are the wellbeing of our volunteers and maintaining our lifesaving service. We want everyone to enjoy their time on the water while staying safe.
Before you head out on the water make sure you are prepared and have checked the weather conditions, wear a lifejacket and make sure you have a means of calling for help should you need it. We urge anyone who sees somebody in trouble in the water or along the coast to use VHF Ch 16 or Dial 112 (or 999) and ask for the Coast Guard.’