At 9.44pm (Saturday 13th August) the Lough Ree RNLI was tasked by the Irish Coastguard to assist 10 people on board a speedboat in danger of sinking on the River Shannon near the M6 bridge at Athlone, Co. Westmeath.
Launched at 9.58pm under the helm of Kieran Sloyan, the charity’s lifeboat with the volunteer crew of Kieran Scullion, Patrick Walsh and Stewart McMickan reached the scene in six minutes.
Upon arrival at the scene, the crew found that the ten people on board had been transferred to another vessel as the speedboat capsized and sank.
The Lough Ree RNLI lifeboat escorted the vessel with the ten injured to Athlone Marina, where all were found to be in good health.
It was the second ‘cry’ of the weekend for Lough Ree RNLI. Last Friday (August 12), the volunteer crew responded to a “Mayday” call from a 50ft. cruiser with three people on board that was experiencing engine difficulties at the north end of the lake. Upon arrival at the scene, the damaged vessel was inspected and towed to Lanesboro, County Longford.
This weekend’s rescues bring the number of people assisted by the Lough Ree RNLI this month to 29.
Lough Ree RNLI back to base
Last weekend (Sunday August 7), the volunteer crew responded to three separate incidents in the afternoon. The cruisers stranded on Hexagon Shoal and Kings Island, with a total of five people on board, were towed to safe waters. In a separate incident, a boat with three people on board was towed to Lecarrow, Co. Roscommon after experiencing engine trouble.
Earlier this month, the charity’s volunteer crews went to the rescue of struggling boats at Hexagon Shoal, Bantry Bay and Inchmore Island, which were escorted to safety.
