Lough Ree RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew helped six people on board two cruisers that ran aground on the lake.
On Saturday morning, September 16th, the Lough Ree RNLI crew rescued two people on board a 40ft cruiser that had stranded on rocks near Nun’s Island. The charity’s lifeboat ‘Tara Scougall’ and its volunteer crew responded to a call for assistance just after 9 am under helm Kieran Sloyan. The two people were taken from the stranded boat and transferred to the Lakeside Marina on the Westmeath shore.
The boat had been the focus of a call-out the previous evening when Lough Ree RNLI was tasked by the Irish Coast Guard to go to the aid of the stricken boat with two people on board near Nun’s Island. The Lough Ree RNLI volunteer crew under helm Stuart McMicken reached the scene at 7.40 pm near Marker Three. On inspection, the crew found the 40ft cruiser hard aground on rocks near Nun’s Island. The volunteer crew spent more than 90 minutes in vain trying to remove the craft from where it came to rest. The two people on board, who were healthy and had enough provisions and fully charged communications equipment, decided to remain on board for the night.
With no improvement in the situation overnight, the two people requested Lough Ree RNLI on Saturday morning to be taken off the cruiser. The transfer was successfully completed by 10 am.
Last week, on Thursday, September 14th, Lough Ree RNLI was asked by the Irish Coast Guard to help a cruiser with four people on board that had run aground on the Hexagon Shoal in the south of the lake. Launched under helm Liam Sheringham, the charity’s lifeboat ‘Tara Scougall’ with a volunteer crew reached the stricken boat at 1.40 pm. After an initial inspection, the crew found all four people on board wearing life jackets and uninjured. The boat was towed from the rocks to safe water and continued north under its own power.
Kevin Ganly, volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager at Lough Ree RNLI, said: "Lake users need to be extra vigilant because of falling water levels on the lake this month. More than 20 of the charity’s volunteers responded to call-outs last week, and I commend them for their commitment and dedication to keeping people safe on the water."