PLEASURE BOATER RESCUED BY RNLI OFF FETHARD COASTLINE

FETHARD RNLI assisted a man whose pleasure craft broke down on Thursday off the Fethard coast.

The volunteer lifeboat crew were requested to launch their inshore lifeboat at 4.07 p.m. following a report that a 21ft pleasure boat with one onboard had sustained engine failure in an area known locally as the Horseshoe.

The lifeboat helmed by Eoin Bird and with crew members Patrick Byrne and Damian Murphy onboard, made its way to the scene one nautical mile and a half from Fethard Harbour. Weather conditions at the time were described as good. Once on scene, the lifeboat crew observed that the boat had washed up to the sand due to the tide. The crew beached their D class lifeboat before working to set up a towline with the casualty vessel. Once this was set up, the lifeboat proceeded to tow the pleasure boat back to Fethard Harbour where it arrived at 5.10 p.m.

Speaking following the call out, Fethard RNLI Deputy Launching Authority Hugh Burke said: ‘ The area in which the man got into difficulty, The Horseshoe, is one where our lifeboat crew has to train regularly due to the sandbanks and sandbars which change regularly with each gale of wind. We would always encourage anyone planning a boat trip to always respect the water, make sure you wear a lifejacket and carry a means of communication should you get into trouble and need to make contact.’