Three rescued after boat goes ‘up like a torch’

THREE people who were forced to abandon their motor cruiser after it caught fire four miles south of Dingle Harbour on Saturday were described as “very lucky lads” by the fishermen who plucked them from the water.

The 37-foot cruiser was travelling from Cahersiveen to Dingle when the fire broke out and, after they failed to bring the rapidly spreading blaze under control, the three men on board had no option but to abandon ship.

Fortunately for the survivors, the fire had been spotted by the crew of the Dingle boat ‘Wansbeck’ that was fishing three quarters of a mile away. Skipper Donie O’Flaherty and Timothy Brosnan rushed to the scene and found two of the crew of the doomed cruiser in an inflatable dinghy, with the third man in the water clinging to the tiny craft.

“It was Timothy who copped the smoke first, and there was only white smoke at that time. We headed over straight away and, although it only took us only five or six minutes, there was thick black smoke and huge flames by the time we got to the boat,” Donie O’Flaherty told The Kerryman.

“She went up like a torch. They didn’t even have time to send a mayday,” he added.

The crew of the cruiser were hauled aboard the Wansbeck and, according to Donie, the three men from Athlone were “very shook” as they watched the flames completely engulf their boat.

Valentia Lifeboat arrived on the scene soon afterwards and took the three Athlone men on board for a medical assessment. Two of the men suffered from smoke inhalation, and one had minor burns. All were treated on board the lifeboat and were then transported to Dingle harbour, where they were met by an awaiting ambulance, which took them to University Hospital Kerry for further treatment.

Valentia RNLI Coxswain John Patrick Murphy said the three men were very lucky to have suffered only minor injuries.

An RNLI photo of the 37ft cruiser that went up in flames four miles south of Dingle Harbour on Saturday.