Galway Bay Fm newsroom-Galway RNLI Lifeboat launched last evening (Saturday, 20 August, 2016) after two yachts and a Half Decker got into difficulty at Renville on Galway Bay.
The alarm was raised by the Irish Coastguard shortly after 6pm after a 40 foot yacht, a 32 foot yacht and a 25 foot Half Decker ended up on the shore at New Harbour.
Although conditions were rough with choppy waters and force 6 winds, Galway Lifeboat’s volunteer crew managed to tow all three vessels to safety, assisted by crew on the vessels.
The Lifeboat crew first towed the Half Decker to safe waters and deployed its anchor and then towed the two yachts, one behind the other, out to the Half Decker, tying one of them to the smaller vessel so that they could tow the other to a safe mooring.
The crew then repeated this operation with the second yacht, untying it from the Half Decker and towing it to a safe mooring. Finally they towed the Half Decker back to the quay at the Sailing Club.
This rescue operation took quite some time as the weather conditions were not very favorable according to Lifeboat Operations Manager Mike Swan.
No-one was injured in the incident and only minor damage was caused to one boat. Galway RNLI Lifeboat returned to Galway Docks at about 8pm. The volunteer crew on this call out were Kieran Oliver (Helmsman), John O’Sullivan, Leanna McHugh and Greg Cullen.