The Galway RNLI rescued a fisherman whose boat was about to run aground on the rocks at Mutton Island on Thursday evening.
Shortly before 5pm on Thursday, the Galway RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew were requested to launch to rescue a lone fisherman on board a 19ft fishing boat with engine trouble.
The lifeboat crew with helm Martin Oliver, Brian Niland, Mark Purcell and Erin Killeen on board were quickly underway to the reported location of the stricken boat near Mutton Island, on inner Galway Bay.
Martin Oliver, helm for the shout this afternoon said: ‘We were on the scene quickly and reached the fishing boat which was in trouble just before it went aground on Mutton Island.”
“We set up a towline and were able to tow the fishing boat out of danger and bring the boat and the fisherman to a nearby slipway in order to get ashore safely.”
Conditions on the sea were good yesterday evening, Martin said, with calm water and just a slight breeze.
“It looks like we are heading into a spell of fine weather which is likely to bring many people to the coast, lakes and rivers.”
He added that anyone planning to be on the water during this spell of good weather should take the following precautions.
- Always wear a lifejacket or suitable flotation device for your activity
- Know how to float in an emergency
- Always carry a means of calling for help such as a VHF radio or mobile phone in a waterproof pouch and keep it on you
- Always check the weather forecast and tide times before venturing out
- Always tell someone where you are going and when you are due back
- If you see someone in trouble or get into difficulty yourself, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard
