Lough Swilly RNLI rescue five crew in 9-hour call-out
The Lough Swilly RNLI all-weather Tyne class lifeboat.
Lough Swilly RNLI spent nine hours rescuing five people in tough weather conditions yesterday evening near Fanad.
Crew members from Lough Swilly RNLI had been attending the HMS Saldanha commemoration in Portsalon when they were called out to assist the crew of a 50fit fishing boat that had broken down about a mile and a half from Fanad Lighthouse.
The all-weather Tyne class lifeboat arrived on scene at 3.15pm where the crew observed the Mary Ellen with five men on board. The fishing boat was carrying a load of crab.
Weather conditions at the time were described as blowing gusts of between Gale Force 5 and 6 up the Lough.
The crew pursued to establish a towline and commence the return journey to shore.
After towing the vessel for a couple of hours into the dark, the tide began to turn, making the pull more difficult. A relief lifeboat from Lough Swilly and Portrush RNLI were requested to launch to assist.
The Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 118 was also on scene in the event that the stricken vessel’s crew would need to be evacuated.
As the boat was being towed up the lough, the fishing boat lost all power and VHF was transferred from the lifeboat for communication.
When Portrush RNLI arrived on scene, the crew assisted with the tow while the Lough Swilly relief lifeboat stood by.
The stricken vessel’s mechanic managed to restart the engine during the tow and the vessel made its way into Rathmullan while the Lough Swilly lifeboat stood by in case it required further assistance.
John McCarter, Lough Swilly RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, paid tribute to the lifeboat crew who arrived back at the station in the early hours of Monday morning. He said: “This was a long callout in difficult weather conditions and we are glad that we were able to assist this vessel and her crew in making it to shore safely. This was a testament of the commitment, skill and selfess nature of our volunteers who are always willing to give their time and readily leave the comfort of their homes to face challenging conditions to help people who find themselves in difficulty at sea.”
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Weather for Donegal
Sunday 19 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 8 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 8 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North west
