Lough Ree RNLI will celebrate the first anniversary of its new €1.2 million boathouse with an open day for members of the public on Saturday, June 10 at its site on Coosan Point, Athlone.
Lough Ree RNLI have been ever present on the lake since its establishment in 2012, with the charity and its volunteers assisting more than 1,500 people in over 500 call-outs in the past 11 years. Today, more than 40 volunteers make up the response team for the organisation.
Starting at 11am on Saturday, the public will have an opportunity to visit and explore the new facility including the state-of-the-art boat hall, crew room and the Paul Browne Room, a training room named in memory of Lough Ree RNLI’s first station mechanic.
A volunteer boat crew will also be on hand to demonstrate the launch and display the ‘on the water’ capabilities of the Tara Scougall, the charity’s Atlantic B Class lifeboat. The ‘on call’ crew will also be on standby to respond to any call-out in the course of the afternoon.
Speaking about the upcoming open day, Lough Ree RNLI volunteer Operations Manager Kevin Ganly, said "We are looking forward to welcoming the public to the boathouse on Saturday, it is a way of showing our appreciation of the generous support the charity has received from the public in the midlands and beyond over the years."
Visitors will have an opportunity to purchase RNLI merchandise from the charity’s shop in the station and light refreshments will be served. The open day concludes at 4pm.
On the water the June Bank Holiday was another busy one for Lough Ree RNLI.
During the afternoon of Sunday, June 4, the volunteer crew responded to a call for assistance to a private cruiser with six people on board which had ran aground on the Hexagon Shoal. Under helm Liam Sheringham, the lifeboat crew arrived on the scene just after 3pm. Following an assessment of the scene it was found that the boat was taking on water and it was decided not to attempt to tow the vessel off the rocks. The volunteer lifeboat crew transferred the six people and their two dogs on to the Tara Scougall and brought them to shore at Leveret Island.
On Friday, June 2, just after midday the Lough Ree RNLI crew was part of a multi-agency response team, along with Gardai and the HSE Ambulance service who stabilised and transferred a casualty with a broken leg from a cruiser at Strand Quay to an awaiting ambulance. The casualty, a visitor from Germany, was taken to Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe where she was admitted for treatment.
