THE INLAND waterways rescue service at Killaloe has stressed that the coast guard service is free and people who enjoy water sports should not hesitate to call for help if they feel in danger.
The occupants of a small river cruiser who got into difficulty on Lough Derg on the river Shannon on Monday night refused assistance from the coast guard and got into further trouble later, colliding with a wall.
The Killaloe unit of the Irish Coast Guard was called out at 7.17pm on Monday following reports that five men on a 16ft Day Cruiser were waving at people on shore and the alarm was raised.
Coast Guard rescuers found five foreign nationals on board, none of whom was wearing a lifejacket.
A smaller boat had been trying to tow the larger cruiser and when the coast guard crew attempted to intervene, the occupants of the cruiser refused their assistance.
The cruiser finally managed to reach moorings and there were no casualties. A spokesman for Killaloe Coast Guard said: “When we arrived at the scene, those on board led us to believe that they had not sought nor did they require our assistance . . .
“Due to the 19km winds there was an immediate danger of the boat being blown on to rocks and despite this, they still refused our assistance. We remained on scene and continued to monitor the boat which got into further difficulties on a number of occasions. No one on board was wearing a lifejacket.”
The spokesman added: “We are here to protect life and property so people should not think that we charge for a call-out.”