Four crew have been rescued near the Skeam Islands off the Cork coast after a boat on a conservation mission hit rocks during the falling tide.
A rescue lifeboat was called just before 2.15pm this afternoon to help the 11-metre fibreglass boat, which ran into difficulty in Roaring Water Bay, west Cork.
The Offshore 105was on a conservation mission to survey the sea floor and ran aground on rocks on the north shore of the West Skeam.
None of the seven crew on board were injured. Four of the crew were taken by lifeboat back to Baltimore Harbour, while the remaining three stayed with the boat to lift it free as the tide returns.
The RNLI Baltimore lifeboat made two attempts to tow the vessel off the rocks, but fearing damage to the hull, secured the vessel with anchors to await the flood tide.
The operation lasted less than two hours.