By Dan Walsh
It was a busy weekend at Kilmore Quay where the local lifeboat volunteer crew successfully rescued nine people in two separate incidents.
Kilmore Quay RNLI were requested to launch by the Irish Coast Guard at 3.40pm on Saturday following reports of four swimmers in difficulty at Ballyteige Burrow beach, west of Kilmore Quay harbour.
Two friends went swimming from the beach and found themselves unable to swim back to shore. Back ashore, their friends noticed they were in difficulty and rang the Irish Coast Guard to raise the alarm, while another took the ring buoy from the beach and swam out to assist the pair in difficulty.
The lifeboat under Coxswain Eugene Kehoe immediately launched and made its way to the scene. Meanwhile another swimmer and a kayaker, also seeing the pair in difficulty, had made their way to the pair to lend assistance.
A small boat that was nearby had also arrived on scene and recovered three of the swimmers who were then transferred to the lifeboat. The fourth swimmer was recovered by the Y-boat launched from the lifeboat.
On return to Kilmore Quay Harbour, the lifeboat was met by the Kilmore Quay Irish Coast Guard unit and a paramedic. One of the swimmers had swallowed some seawater and was taken to hospital as a precaution by the Irish Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue 117.
At 11.09pm on Saturday night, the Irish Coast Guard requested the volunteer crew to respond to a Pan Pan call to assist four people aboard a yacht that has lost all power.
The lifeboat, under Coxswain Eugene Kehoe with six crew members on board, immediately launched and made its way to the 12-metre yacht situated 18 miles southeast of Kilmore Quay. Conditions at the time were drizzly with poor visibility, light southeasterly winds and a slight sea swell.
Arriving on scene approximately one hour later, the lifeboat crew checked that all on board the yacht was safe and well before assessing the situation with the vessel. A decision was made to establish a towline and return to the nearest port, which was Kilmore Quay.
The passage back to port with the vessel under tow took just over two and a half hours. Arriving back in the harbour at 2.53am, the casualty vessel was secured alongside the marina.
Speaking to WexfordLocal.com following the call outs, Kilmore Quay RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager John Grace, said: “Thankfully both call outs had a happy ending. The young people at the beach did the right thing in raising the alarm when they noticed their friends in trouble, which helped to prevent the situation from becoming much worse. Always remember when you see someone in trouble call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.“
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