Swedish couple rescued from yacht

a SWEDISH couple were rescued from their yacht after it drifted on to the rock armour at Rosslare Port early last Wednesday morning.

Volunteer lifeboat crew from Rosslare RNLI launched their All Weather Lifeboat at 3.45 a.m. following a distress call from a yacht with two people on board, which had suffered engine failure and drifted onto the rock armour. The eight-metre vessel was seeking shelter from the weather that had worsened with a strong force seven north westerly gale, which was blowing into the mouth of Rosslare Harbour.

Rosslare Harbour RNLI Volunteer Life- boat Press Officer Jamie Ryan said one of the yacht’s crew was able to leave the boat and make it on to the rocks, but due to high waves and the rocks, it was not possible to attach a towline to the yacht from the lifeboat.

‘ Two volunteers from Rosslare RNLI successfully managed to get the remaining occupant off the boat from the landside of the harbour while the lifeboat stood off shore providing cover. The couple were brought to the lifeboat station to get warm and recover from their ordeal. They were also provided with dry clothes,’ said Mr Ryan.

Mr Ryan praised the efforts of the lifeboat volunteer who went down to help the woman who had remained on the yacht.

‘It was a challenging rescue in the early hours as the boat was getting dashed against the rocks and we needed to get the two crew members to safety. The best way to recover them was from the landside with the lifeboat providing cover from the sea.’

‘ The boat has suffered major damage, but the two people are recovering well from the incident.’

The couple, a man and a woman in their 30s, from Gotheburg, in Sweden, were on a sailing trip around Europe.