It was a strange day for the RNLI this week when they came upon a stranded boat on Lough Derg, but instead of passengers and crew, found nothing at all.
On Saturday afternoon the lifeboat launched at the request of Valentia Coast Guard to investigate whether anyone was in trouble aboard a 20ft cruiser reported aground west of Garrykennedy Harbour.
At 3:30pm on Saturday, Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat Jean Spier launched with helm Eleanor Hooker, crew Chris Parker and Joe O’Donoghue on board.
The wind was southerly Force 5, gusting Force 7. Visibility was fair with heavy squalls.
At 3:41pm the lifeboat located the casualty vessel midway between Garrykennedy Harbour and Parker’s Point. The lifeboat navigated a safe passage to the vessel which was grounded on rocks close to the shore.
An RNLI volunteer went aboard the vessel to determine whether there was anyone on board and in need of assistance.
The vessel was empty. The RNLI crew located the boat’s registration so that the Valentia Coast Guard could make contact with the owner.
Given the location and the deteriorating weather conditions, the helm made the decision to make the vessel safe, deploy its anchor and secure its canopy, and to leave the vessel at the location. The lifeboat helm informed the Valentia Coast Guard of this decision.
Eleanor Hooker, Helm at Lough Derg RNLI advises boat users, “to check the mooring lines on your vessel to ensure they are secure, particularly in anticipation of poor weather conditions”.
