PLEASURE BOATER RESCUED BY RNLI

FETHARD RNLI launched on Saturday night on the request of the Coast Guard to a vessel with one person onboard in difficulty a mile from Fethard on Sea. The vessel was a 16.5 foot pleasure boat with a failed propeller a mile off Fethard. A member of the public raised the alarm at 7.30 p.m. when they saw a vessel which appeared to be in difficulty off The Borrow, Grange Strand, on the Fethard coast. The lifeboat was launched and crew were able to secure a visual of the blue and white 16 foot vessel which had a failed propeller from the launched site. The vessel had broken its mooring the previous night from Fethard Quay and had come ashore at a local area called the Windy Gap. The owner had successfully relaunched the vessel at 7 p.m., however a half a mile from shore the propeller got entangled in a rope. Conditions were slightly overcast with a force four to five south westerly breeze with good visibility. Arriving on the scene the volunteer lifeboat crew were able to successfully free the propeller of the ropes which allowed the inshore lifeboat to take the vessel by tow and return safely to Fethard Quay. Speaking following the callout, Fethard RNLI Deputy Launching Authority Tony Molloy said: ‘ The volunteer crew responded quickly and was with the casualty within minutes. The pleasure boat was towed safely back to Fethard Quay where it was securely moored and the lifeboat returned to the station shortly after 9 p.m.’ The Fethard lifeboat crew were: helm Rory O’Connor, Cathal O’Connell, Dean Foley and Joe Dwyer, driver Eileen Murphy together with shore crew of Martin Doran, Malclom Ennis, Joey Murphy and Brendan O’Callaghan.