The Aran Islands RNLI came to the rescue of six kayakers in real trouble of the coast of Inis Mór on Tuesday night.
A member of the public raised the alarm after seeing them in trouble a half a mile off Kilronan Pier shortly before 8pm on Tuesday.
The All-Weather lifeboat from the island was launched after the Coast Guard made a call the RNLI for assistance.
The group of six kayakers with two kayaks, were quickly located on nearby rocks and due to their location, the lifeboat crew had to launch a Y-boat, a small inflatable rescue craft kept onboard the all-weather Severn class lifeboat.
Using the small rescue craft, the lifeboat crew managed to get in close to the rocks and transfer all six kayakers onboard. Conditions on the evening were calm and the weather was dry.
On returning to Kilronan pier, the group were medically assessed by a waiting doctor. Doolin Coast Guard and Rescue 115 were also in attendance at the scene.
Commenting on the successful callout, RNLI Coxswain Trevor Devereux said, “This was a good outcome, as it could have been a very different story.”
“When kayaking, make sure to bring the correct equipment and that you tell someone where you are going. Always wear a lifejacket and make sure you have a means of calling for help.”
“In this case a member of the public raised the alarm when they saw something wrong and thankfully due to their vigilance, the group were rescued with no serious injuries.”
