Never Miss a Story! Join our newsletter below
A sailor was left clinging to the hull of their capsized boat until they were rescued by the Clifden RNLI last week.
At 8:45pm last Thursday the Clifden lifeboat crew were tasked by Malin Head Coast Guard to assist a sailor who was capsized in Clifden Bay.
It was a member of the public who raised the alarm after seeing the boat in trouble from the shore.
The crew launched their Atlantic 85 lifeboat Joyce King, helmed by Joe Acton with crew Alan Pryce and Shane Conneely. They were assisted by John Brendan Mannion on the shore.
The crew arrived on scene a short distance out in Clifden Bay to find the stranded sailor clinging to the hull of his upturned boat.
The casualty had been in the water for some time and was cold but in good spirits otherwise. Thankfully, the experienced sailor was also wearing a life vest.
The crew transported the sailor back to shore to warm up and then set about righting the sailboat and towing it back to a safe mooring in the Bay.
Speaking about the shout, Clifden RNLI Helm Joe Acton said, “With this current spell of good weather we expect to see people enjoying water sports and boating activities around our coasts.”
“We want everyone to enjoy the water and come home safely, please always remember to wear a life jacket when out on the water, always carry a mobile phone or VHF radio to call for help in an emergency.”
“Boats should have an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) which is registered and regularly maintained.”
“The volunteer crew at our station are on call 24/7. If you get into difficulty, or see someone else in trouble, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.”
