Lifeboat exercise turns into real life callout

The volunteers with Bundoran RNLI had a long night when a routine training exercise for the lifeboat crew turned into a five hour rescue. 

The lifeboat crew received the call for help at 8.30pm last night (Tuesday, 26 February) to a 30ft fishing vessel with three people onboard that had suffered engine failure seven miles off Innismurray.

Immediately diverting to the scene, the lifeboat crew reached the vessel at 9.10pm and established a tow between the lifeboat and the 30ft fishing vessel. 

Conditions were ideal for the callout with a low swell and little wind. Due to the size of the casualty vessel the tow took a number of hours and on reaching Mullaghmore the volunteer lifeboat crew were replaced by their colleagues after spending a number of hours at sea in cold conditions. It was after 1.30am before the lifeboat crew reached home.

Commenting on the callout, Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, Captain Tony McGowan said, ‘ Our exercise night turned into a long callout for the crew and I want to thank them for their great work. Towing a vessel to safety can be a long and arduous job for a lifeboat crew but it’s an important one and we are happy to be able to assist. I also want to thank our volunteer lifeboat crew’s families who wait patiently at home and support the work of the RNLI.’

The volunteer lifeboat crew on the callout were Helm Brian Faulkner, and crewmembers Mark Vaughan, Fergal Muller and Chris Fox.