Lough Ree RNLI called to assist 23 people on the lake in the past week

It's been a particularly busy period for Lough Ree RNLI as the August Bank Holiday heralded the busiest week of the year.

The Lough Ree RNLI volunteer crew was tasked to six call outs with 23 people and a dog on board boats in difficulty on the water.

Last Saturday last, August 10, there were two incidents. Just before 9:00pm the lifeboat was tasked by the Irish Coast Guard to a private boat with eight people on board north of Hare Island. Under volunteer helm Tom Bradbury, the lifeboat crew arrived at the scene at 9.25pm to find an 18ft boat which had suffered engine failure.

The five children and three adults on board, who were all wearing life jackets, were all safe and well. Six casualties were taken to the lifeboat station at Coosan Point and two to Portaneena on board the charity’s lifeboat ‘Tara Scougall.’

Earlier on Saturday morning (August 10) at 10.30am Lough Ree RNLI was alerted by a passing boat to assist a cruiser with four people on board, which had run aground. The lifeboat crew under volunteer helm Kieran Sloyan arrived at the scene at Bantry Bay.

Following an inspection by the crew the boat was towed off the rocks to safe water. Lough Ree RNLI lifeboat crew were on the water for over five hours in two separate call outs on Wednesday, August 6.

At midday there was a call to assist a boat with one person on board which had run aground near the RNLI lifeboat station and off Killinure Point. With volunteer helm Shane McCormack the lifeboat crew were quickly at the scene and found a 36ft cruiser aground at Gowlane Rock.

Despite an operation lasting over an hour the lifeboat was unable to free the boat from the rock and a nearby barge was called to assist. On Wednesday afternoon the Irish Coast Guard tasked Lough Ree RNLI to assist a vessel in difficulty on the north of the lake.

Launched at 3.33pm the lifeboat crew under volunteer helm Kieran Sloyan reached the incident on the Longford shore at 4pm. On inspection the crew found a 40’ steel barge with four people on board stranded on rocks near Marker 502. The barge was taken under tow to Ballyleague, Co. Roscommon.

The busiest week of the year for Lough Ree RNLI began on Sunday 4 August with a call to assist a private boat with 4 people on board which had suffered engine failure north of Hare Island. Under volunteer helm Liam Sheringham the vessel was taken under tow to Quigley’s Marina on the Leinster shore.

Yesterday, Sunday, August 11 at 4.20pm a callout was received to a small tender adrift near Marker No 5. On arrival at the scene the Lough Ree RNLI volunteer crew under helm found two people and a family pet on board.

The boat was towed to Portrunny on the Roscommon shore for safety while the father, daughter and their dog were transferred by the lifeboat to Quigley’s Marina.