Two sailors were rescued early today after their yacht rang aground in darkness off the Clare coast.
Shortly after midnight, the Kilrush RNLI lifeboat was launched following reports that a 36ft yacht with two people on board had run aground on a falling tide near the entrance to Kilrush Marina.
The lifeboat reached the scene within minutes and located the grounded boat.
The unharmed crew was evacuated from the casualty vessel, taken on board the lifeboat and back to the RNLI base at Cappagh.
At 4.00am, when tides would be more favourable, the lifeboat returned to the yacht which had re-floated with the incoming tide.
The sailors reboarded their vessel while the lifeboat towed the yacht back into the main navigation channel. The yacht later made it’s way safely into the marina at Kilrush.
Kilrush RNLI spokesman Charlie Glynn said: “Thankfully the casualty vessel and crew returned safely to Kilrush Marina. As a matter of safety, the RNLI would urge boat owners navigating in darkness to have the appropriate navigation aids to allow safe travel from port to port.”
The operation was coordinated by staff at the Irish Coast Guard marine rescue coordination centre on Valentia Island in Kerry.