Seven people rescued aboard stranded cruisers on Lough Ree over weekend

Lough Ree RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews came to the assistance of two cruisers on the lake during the weekend, taking seven people to safety.

Just after lunchtime on Saturday, June 5, the Lough Ree RNLI volunteer crew responded to a call from a cruiser with five people on board which was grounded on Kids' Island, near Lough Ree Yacht Club.

On reaching the scene, a line was attached to the grounded cruiser and it was taken on tow off the rocks and escorted to Coosan Point.

In the second incident on Sunday evening, June 6, a member of the public raised the alarm when a cruiser was seen to be in difficulties in Portrunny Bay.

Under helm Tom Bradbury, the Lough Ree RNLI lifeboat 'Tara Scougall', with a volunteer crew on board, reached the scene at 6.35pm and following assessment the boat was towed off the rocks and escorted to Portrunny on the Roscommon shore.

In the first week of June the charity has come to the assistance of eleven people in difficulty on Lough Ree and as the summer season gains momentum volunteer lifeboat operations manager Jude Kilmartin has reminded all of those who use the lake to "equip themselves fully and ensure that they are familiar with navigation maps and guidance for Lough Ree".

He also reiterated that the volunteer crew at Lough Ree RNLI were always on call to assist those in difficulty and asked that they call emergency services at the earliest opportunity.