By Dan Walsh
Three people were rescued by Kilmore Quay RNLI last Saturday afternoon after their 6.3m cruiser got into difficulty 50 miles off the Wexford coast while they were on an angling day trip.
The volunteer crew were requested to launch by the Irish Coast Guard at 1.30pm to assess the situation where the vessel was reported to be taking on water 50 miles south of Kilmore Quay. Tenby RNLI in Wales was also launched.
The cruiser had launched earlier that day from Kilmore Quay for a day’s deep-sea fishing. Weather and sea conditions were good at the time. However, when the crew noticed their boat was taking on water, they turned to return to shore and called for assistance.
Both lifeboats arrived on scene within minutes of each other with the crews first checking that all onboard were safe and well. Having assessed the situation, a decision was made to allow the cruiser to continue to make its way back to port under its own power escorted by the Kilmore Quay RNLI while Tenby RNLI returned to their station.
All arrived safely back to Kilmore Quay at 7.05pm.
Kilmore Quay RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager John Grace, said: “We were happy to see that the boat’s crew was able to return safely to Kilmore Quay under the boat’ own power. The crew made the right decision to call for assistance when they did as they were in a precarious position taking on water in a busy shipping lane.
“We would remind anyone planning a trip to sea to always wear a lifejacket and to always carry a means of calling for help. If you do get into difficulty or see someone else in trouble, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.”
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