Clifden RNLI rescue sailor in distress
It was a busy Friday for the volunteer crew of Clifden RNLI with two taskings in quick succession.
Both of the incidents took place in the Killary Harbour area today, Friday 11th July.
Just before 2pm Clifden's Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat crew launched to assist two people who were reported to be stranded on the rocks on the northern side of Killary. While we were making way to the location a local boat who was on scene was thankfully able to assist the two casualties and the lifeboat crew were stood down.
James Mullen was Helm on this operation with Dara Wallace, Chris Nee and Caroline Barry as crew.
Barely back at base with the equipment and vessels cleaned and prepped, the pagers went again at 3.30pm. This time a sailor was in serious difficulty near Silver Strand, Killary. He had lost power and was drifting towards the rocks.
Both Clifden lifeboats launched immediately, Alan Price was Helm on the Atlantic 85, with Chris Nee Caroline Barry and Dara Wallace as crew.
On the Shannon class all-weather lifeboat were John Mullen as Coxswain, with James Mullen, Dave Reilly, Tom Guy and Neil Gallery.
It was a challenging operation due to the precarious position of the sailboat which was in danger of being destroyed on the rocks. The experienced lifeboat crew however managed to establish a tow line and guide the sailor out of harms way and back to safe harbour at Little Killary.
Speaking about the shouts, Clifden RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Tony Casey said, 'This was a busy day for our volunteer crew and I want to commend the entire team who drop everything to serve their community the moment the pagers go off.
'By working together our volunteer crew navigated a very challenging rescue today. Without our assistance the casualty vessel would likely have been destroyed and the sailor would have been in very grave danger.
'I'm delighted we were able to rescue the sailor today and would remind anyone going to sea to please always call for help if in difficulty. We are on call 24/7, ready to save lives at sea.'
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.
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