Six Lough Swilly RNLI volunteers worked through the night during an incident last week to rescue a crew of fishermen.
The volunteer lifeboat crew spent almost nine hours at sea on Tuesday 13th March to attend to a crabber with four onboard which had broken down five nautical miles north west of Malin Head.
The all-weather lifeboat under Coxswain George O’Hagan and with five crew members onboard launched into the darkness at 10.45pm at the request of the Irish Coast. Weather conditions were not favourable with 2-3m short and sharp sea swells.
Once on scene, the lifeboat crew checked that the fishermen were safe and well before working with them to connect a tow line and begin the long passage to Rathmullan Pier.
Speaking following the call out, Joe Joyce, Lough Swilly RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer said: ‘This was a long and challenging call out for our volunteers given the sea conditions but they were more than happy to help and delighted to bring the fishermen to safety. This call out was a fine example of the willingness of volunteers to forgo the warmth and comfort of their beds for a cold and rough night at sea in order to help others.’
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is the charity that saves lives at sea. Our volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service in the United Kingdom and Ireland from 238 lifeboat stations. The RNLI relies on public donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service.
Tags: