Three men were rescued from a sinking yacht off Spiddal Pier on Sunday morning.
The men had just set sail from Spiddal Pier on the 21ft sloop sailing vessel when it sprang a leak and started sinking. They raised the alarm and the Irish Coastguard tasked the Galway RNLI Lifeboat and Shannon Rescue Helicopter to the scene at approximately 9.30am.
A local skipper immediately came to their assistance in his Aquastar 43 angling boat from the nearby pier and took the men on board and their boat in tow. All three men were wearing lifejackets. Galway RNLI Lifeboat and helicopter arrived five minutes later. They checked out the casualties who did not require medical assistance.
The lifeboat crew of helmsman Brian Niland, John Byrne, and David Oliver escorted the yacht, which was semi-submerged, back to Spiddal Pier. Towing the vessel helped to keep it afloat.
