Busy week for Killaloe Coast Guard

On Friday last at 3pm, Killaloe Coast Guard unit was tasked at to assist a 24-foot cruiser with engine difficulty south of the Two-Mile- Gate. The unit's Rib with four crew members on board launched from the Pier Head, and located the vessel drifting between the Two-Mile-Gate and Ballyvalley.

A crew member was transferred on board the casualty vessel, and after an assessment it was decided to secure a tow line and bring the vessel into deeper water. The person on board was safe and well and wearing a life jacket. The vessel was then taken on tow back to Killaloe where a shore team assisted in its safe mooring.

Missing Person Searches

On Saturday at 5.15pm, Killaloe Coast Guard was tasked to back-to-back missing person searches. A boat crew, land search team and drone team responded, and went to an area on the northern shore of Lough Derg where they joined with Lough Derg Lifeboat, the IRCG helicopter Rescue 115 from Shannon, Tipperary Fire and Rescue TN15 and paramedics from the National Ambulance service. Assistance was given by the shore team, and at 7.20pm the teams were stood down and returned to base.

At 7.30pm, the unit was tasked for a second time to a missing person search in North Tipperary. Land search teams and a drone team responded and searches of the area commenced. Coast Guard crews and a crew from Tipperary Civil Defence provided assistance on scene along with paramedics from the National Ambulance service and the Gardaí Síochána.

Both incidents were co-ordinated by the watch officers at the Marine Co-ordination Centre in Valentia Co Kerry.