Lough Ree RNLI crew diverted from training to lake rescue

The weekly 'on the water’ training session for a Lough Ree RNLI crew became the real thing on Tuesday last when the volunteer crew were called to assist one person on board a cruiser which had run aground near Coosan Point.

Throughout the year Lough Ree RNLI volunteer crew undergo weekly training from the charity's boathouse at Coosan Point and in this instance the crew Billy Henshaw Jnr., Ruth Costello, Patrick Walsh and John Naughton had started their three-hour training session on the lake at 6pm. At 7.40pm Lough Ree RNLI was called to assist one man on board a 29’ steel cruiser which had run aground off Coosan Point.

Lough Ree RNLI volunteer Launch Authority Declan Moran requested the lifeboat crew, under helm Billy Henshaw Jnr., to assist the stricken boat.

Arriving at the scene, the crew found one man on board and the vessel had run aground on rocks off Coosan Point. After an assessment of the situation the boat was left at anchor for later recovery while the owner was taken on board the 'Tara Scougall’ to the lifeboat station at Coosan.

In further training news, congratulations are in order for Naveen Nath and Ankur Arora who passed out as shore crew following their assessments on the same evening.

Lough Ree RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager Dave McCourt said: "It's this continuous training of new recruits that keeps the station ready to respond to calls from members of the public. It's also great to see crew members progressing, developing their skills and reaching important milestones."

The training programme continued on Sunday when Lough Ree RNLI volunteer crew took part in a joint exercise with the Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 118 at Lough Ree Yacht Club.

The session focused on familiarisation with the new AW189 aircraft and readiness for multi-agency responses to emergencies.