By Dan Walsh
Kilmore Quay RNLI responded to two separate requests from the Irish Coast Guard for assistance to pleasure crafts in the vicinity of the Saltee Islands over the weekend. Weather and sea conditions were good on both occasions.
The first call was at 2 pm on Saturday to assist a rigid inflatable boat (RIB.) with five people on board that had lost steering. The lifeboat launched at 2.18 pm and made its way to the south side of the Great Saltee where the crew of the RIB. had managed to tie on to a buoy and await assistance. All on board were safe and well. The lifeboat crew established a towline and brought the boat back to Kilmore Quay arriving at 3.12 pm.
At 5.30pm on Sunday evening, the crew responded to assist a lone sailor on an 8-metre yacht approximately six nautical miles southeast of Kilmore Quay. The yacht had experienced a navigation system failure. Arriving on scene at 6 pm and after checking the person on board was safe and well, a towline was established. The yacht was brought back to Kilmore Quay harbour arriving at 7.25 pm.
Kilmore Quay RNLI Coxswain, Eugene Kehoe, told WexfordLocal.com; “Even the best maintained equipment can sometimes go wrong, so it is important to always be prepared for when it does happen as these people were. They did the right thing in calling for help when they did. I would urge anyone heading out to sea always carry a reliable means of communication, VHF, or a mobile phone in a waterproof case in case you need to call for help and always wear a life jacket. If you do get into difficulty or see someone else in trouble, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard,” he concluded.
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