Lough Swilly RNLI
assists motorboat
29.04.26
LOUGH Swilly RNLI’s new
Atlantic 85 class lifeboat launched for the first time
on Tuesday, 21 April, after a person got into difficulty
on a motorboat near Fahan Marina.
The volunteer crew were preparing to launch on a
training exercise on Davdot, when Malin Head Coast Guard
requested their assistance at 7:32pm. The Coast Guard
had received a 112 call from a person aboard an 18ft
boat, reporting a fuel line failure and concerns about
the vessel drifting on to rocks on the incoming tide.
The lifeboat helmed by Barry Johnston and with crew
members Stephen Doherty, Barry Nixon and Shane Meehan
onboard, launched immediately and made its way to the
scene.
Weather conditions at the time were good with a moderate
wind and calm seas.
Once on scene, the crew observed the casualty who was
wearing a lifejacket, was safe and well but could not
make any safe onward progress due to the incoming tide
and the risk of the boat drifting onto rocks. A decision
was made that the safest course of action was to tow the
vessel to the nearby Fahan Marina. |
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Lough Swilly RNLI's new
lifeboat, Davdot, returning after the call out. |
Speaking after the call
out, Barry Johnston, Lough Swilly RNLI Helm said: "We
would like to commend the person onboard the motorboat
who was appropriately dressed and wearing a lifejacket
and equipped with a means of communication to make the
112 call when they knew they were in difficulty.
"As the pleasure boating season starts, we would
encourage anyone planning a trip on the water, to always
check the weather and tide times before venturing out,
to tell someone where you are going and when you are due
back and to ensure your engine is well maintained."
This was the first call out for Davdot, which arrived on
station on the 8th April, and the first inshore lifeboat
call out of 2026. |
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