By Dan Walsh
Fethard RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew were tasked to assist a lone sailor whose boat had lost power and was adrift in the shipping channel north of the Barrow Bridge in Waterford Estuary last Friday.
Fethard RNLI inshore lifeboat Naomh Dubhán was tasked to launch by the Irish Coast Guard at 11.29am. The volunteer crew made their way by road and launched the lifeboat at Ballyhack. Conditions were good and the D-class arrived on scene at 12.17pm.
Having assessed the situation, the crew decided to take the casualty undertow to the closest marina in New Ross, as it posed a significant risk to navigation in the channel.
Once the casualty was secured in the marina at 1.30pm the lifeboat returned to Ballyhack to recover. The crew returned to station and were ready for service again by 2.49pm.
Domini Codd, volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager at Fethard RNLI said; “The casualty did the right thing by calling for help as soon as possible. We would advise that anybody heading out on the water always carries an appropriate means of calling for help and always wears a personal flotation device, such as a lifejacket.”
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