By Dan Walsh
Kilmore Quay RNLI were called in the early hours of Saturday to assist a lone sailor whose yacht had run aground just outside Kilmore Quay harbour, having also launched the previous afternoon to assist two people whose yacht experienced engine failure.
The volunteer crew were requested to launch their all-weather Tamar class lifeboat, Killarney, by the Irish Coast Guard at 2.34am on Saturday night in response to a ‘Pan Pan’ call received from a solo sailor. The 10-metre yacht had run aground in low water just outside Kilmore Quay harbour.
The lifeboat, under Coxswain Eugene Kehoe with four crew members on board, immediately launched and made its way to the scene. Conditions at the time were calm and clear. As the water was too shallow for the Killarney to come alongside, the lifeboat’s inflatable Y-boat was launched to make the final approach to the yacht and check that the crew member on board was safe and well. As the tide was rising, the decision was taken to wait on the tide to re-float the boat. At 3.13am the yacht was re-floated and made its way back to Kilmore Quay harbour escorted by the lifeboat, arriving at 3.35am.
On Friday afternoon the crew were requested to launch by the Irish Coast Guard to assist two people aboard a yacht with engine failure. The lifeboat, under Coxswain Eugene Kehoe with five crew members on board, immediately launched and made its way to the yacht which was anchored on the northeast side of the Great Saltee. Arriving on scene eleven minutes later, the crew assessed the situation and decided to establish a towline. Having retrieved the yacht’s anchor and with a towline secured, the lifeboat was soon underway back to Kilmore Quay, arriving back at the harbour 2.48pm.
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