Lough Ree RNLI volunteer crew responded to a call on Monday afternoon to assist a lake cruiser with six people on board which had run aground west of Beam Island close to the County Roscommon shoreline.
Under helm Kieran Sloyan and with crew Liam Sheringham and Donal Herraghty on board, the Lough Ree RNLI volunteer lifeboat ‘Tara Scougall’ launched shortly after midday and quickly reached the scene east of Hodson Bay.
The 46ft cruiser with six people on board had become grounded on rocks west of Beam Island. Having completed an initial assessment, the RNLI lifeboat crew towed the vessel off the rocks and following safety checks the cruiser continued under its own power. This brings to 14 the number of people rescued by Lough Ree RNLI in the past five days.
Late last week (Friday, July 9 ) a cruiser with five people on board was towed off the Hexagon Shoal, north of Hare Island. On the way back from this call-out the volunteer lifeboat crew were diverted to assist a cruiser with two people on board which had suffered engine failure, it was taken under tow to a berth at Portrunny.
On the previous evening (Thursday 8 July ), Lough Ree RNLI was called to assist a 17ft fishing boat with one person on board which had broken down near Lough Ree Yacht Club, the boat was safely towed to Coosan Point.
Following a busy weekend Lough Ree RNLI treasurer Vincent Rafter thanked all members of the public, businesses around the lake and the lake community for the ongoing support of the charity as work nears completion on a new €1.2m boathouse at Coosan Point which will greatly enhance the service which Lough Ree RNLI currently provides.
Model lifeboat and painting presented to Lough Ree RNLI crew
Meanwhile, Lough Ree RNLI volunteer crew were the recipients of a number of personalised gifts from a great supporter at a presentation on Sunday afternoon.
Limerick man Mark Conway (43 ), visited Athlone with his friend Tommy Corbett and key worker Ivana Kottesova. The creative artist who has honed his skills with the Brothers of Charity in the Treaty City had earlier this year contacted then Operations Manager Tony McCarth to offer the replica as a gift to the charity.
At a special ceremony at the Lough Ree RNLI boathouse at Coosan Point, Mr Conway met Tony McCarth, Operations Manager Jude Kilmartin, Treasurer Vincent Rafter and members of the crew and their families and presented his metre long model of an RNLI lifeboat. During the visit Mark had another surprise in store when he also presented a painting of a lifeboat which was also his own work.
A great supporter of the RNLI, Mr Conway’s key worker Ivana Kottesova said, “Mark has already made presentations to the RNLI at Lough Derg, Kilrush, Courtmacsharry and Kinsale and hopes eventually to visit all RNLI lifeboat stations on the island.”
Lough Ree RNLI Operations Manager Jude Kilmartin expressed the charity’s gratitude for the presentation and said he “looked forward to displaying the art in a place of prominence in the new RNLI boathouse” which is on schedule for completion later this year.
During the weekend trip to Athlone the Limerick visitors were guests of Viking Boat Tours for an afternoon on the River Shannon and Lough Ree which they thoroughly enjoyed.
