Two people were rescued off the coast of Dublin on Friday afternoon, after the yacht they were aboard got into difficulty in challenging sea conditions.
Shortly after midday, Howth RNLI responded to a call from the yacht, which had been blown offshore south of Lambay Island, in the Irish Sea.
Visibility on the water was good, but the strong winds made for challenging rescue conditions. A volunteer lifeboat crew reached the yacht 15 minutes after launching Howth RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat, the Roy Barker III.
A crew member assessed the yacht crew, concluding they were wet and cold but otherwise unharmed. The lifeboat crew towed the yacht back to Howth harbour.
Ian Sheridan, of Howth RNLI, said the crew “did the right thing” in calling for help “before it was too late”.
“Our volunteer crew responded to the pager quickly and we were able to launch and locate the yacht within 25 minutes of their call for help.
“This type of call out for the RNLI provides a good opportunity to remind boat owners to always check the weather forecast and sea conditions before you set off and have a means of calling for help at all times. If you get into difficulty or see anyone in distress on or close to the water, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard,” he said.
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