|
Friday, 03 July 2009
Bessie tows yacht off Long
Island
The Baltimore inshore lifeboat Bessie,
towed a 30ft yacht to safety from Long Island in Roaring Water
Bay, West Cork, today. A mayday alert had been issued by Bantry
radio at 12:26 when the vessel with one crew on board got
into difficulties on the Southwest tip of the Island, near
Goat Island Sound.
A passing RIB, having heard the alert on VHF
radio, went to the scene and took on board the single crewman,
who had abandoned the yacht and rowed in a dinghy to safety.
When the lifeboat arrived on scene the abandoned
vessel had been dismasted and had experienced damage to her
rudder. There had been no apparent damage to her hull.
Helm Kieran Collins and crewmen Youen Jacob
and Micheal Cottrell, assessed how they could safely tow the
yacht clear of the shore. In a 2.5 metre swell, they approached
the stricken craft. Youen passed a towline through the pulpit
and Bessie took the strain towing the yacht clear of the rocks.
They continued the two for 0.5 miles to open water. The lifeboat
crew cut the dismasted rigging free and attached fenders to
the rig, so that it could be retrieved at a later time.
The lifeboat then towed the yacht to Schull,
where she was left alongside the pier. An ambulance was called
for the male occupant of the yacht.
Return
to Shouts 2009
|
