Lough Derg RNLI assists a family of 4 on a 28ft cruiser reported on fire

At 12.16am Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat Jean Spier launched with helm Eleanor Hooker, crew Doireann Kennedy, Joe O’Donoghue and Tom Hayes on board. The wind was westerly Force 2. Visibility was very good.

As the lifeboat was launching, Valentia Coast Guard informed the volunteers that the family had been taken off the casualty vessel, and that our colleagues at Killaloe Coast Guard had also launched to assist.

At 12.26am the lifeboat could see the casualty vessel just south of Lough Derg Navigation Mark E. The family had transferred onto a 18ft fishing boat, which was standing off close by.

At 12.32am the lifeboat came alongside the fishing vessel and found the casualties to be safe, unharmed and wearing their lifejackets. The skipper of the casualty vessel informed the lifeboat crew that when he noticed smoke and an acrid smell coming from the engine housing he immediately shut down the engine. And with that, the smoke emission ceased. They were unable to deploy their anchor as it required the engine to be running to operate.

Once satisfied that sufficient time had elapsed and the engine had cooled, the RNLI helm permitted the skipper and an RNLI volunteer to board the casualty vessel. The skipper found that a piece of cloth was in contact with the engine’s exhaust system, and identified it as the source of the smoke and smell. The cloth was removed, and the casualty vessel’s engine started immediately when tried.

The lifeboat informed Valentia Coast Guard of the findings and of the decision to take one adult and the two infants onto the lifeboat from the fishing vessel, and to accompany the casualty vessel to Dromineer Harbour with the skipper and an RNLI volunteer on board. However, at 12.45pm, the engine on the casualty vessel failed. As the Killaloe Coast Guard was now on scene, the RNLI helm requested that the mother and two infants be transferred from the RNLI lifeboat to the Coast Guard lifeboat and be taken ahead to Dromineer.

Given the remote location and the inability to secure the cruiser, the helm made the decision to take the casualty vessel under tow to the closest safe harbour, in Dromineer. Valentia Coast Guard was informed.

The casualty vessel was safely tied alongside in Dromineer Harbour at 1.44pm. The lifeboat departed the scene and was back at station at 1.50pm

Christine O’Malley, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Lough Derg RNLI, advises boat users ‘as we are now heading into the summer season, remember to have your vessel fully serviced before embarking on your journey. If you find yourself in difficulty, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard’.

Ends

Notes to editors

• Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat station has been operating since 2004. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/lough-derg-lifeboat-station
• A photo of Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat can be viewed at: https://www.facebook.com/RNLILoughDerg/

RNLI media contacts

For more information please telephone Eleanor Hooker, Lough Derg RNLI volunteer helm and Lifeboat Press Officer on 0877535207 or [email protected] or Nuala McAloon, Regional Media Officer on 0876483547 [email protected] or Niamh Stephenson, Regional Media Manager on 0871254124 or [email protected]

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For more information on the RNLI please visit rnli.org. News releases and other media
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Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around Ireland and the UK. The RNLI operates 46 lifeboat stations in Ireland. The RNLI is independent of government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, the charity has saved over 142,700 lives.