Six men rescued from sinking cruiser

Six men in their 20s have been rescued from a sinking cruiser by the RNLI Lough Ree lifeboat today.
The alarm was raised just before midday when the vessel started taking in water, less than half a mile downstream south of Athlone lock, close to what’s known as the old canal area.
It’s thought the boat struck some kind of obstruction, perhaps a metal pole or spike, in the river bed which caused a hole in the vessel.
RNLI spokesperson Damien Delaney confirmed that all six men are safe and well and were safely brought back to Athlone lock by boat volunteers. The cruiser boat has since sunk.
This is eighth call-out for the service this year and its 22nd in all since it was first launched on July 1 last year.