Beara RNLI's late night assist of local fishing vessel

A Castletownbere fishing vessel that experienced mechanical failure was assisted by the RNLI on Monday night.

The Castletownbere lifeboat crew, under the command of coxswain Dean Hegarty, was tasked by Valentia Coast Guard Radio and shortly after 9pm went to the assistance of the 18m fishing boat.

The six crew on board got into difficulty after the propeller was fouled and the vessel was unable to move.

At 9.46pm the lifeboat crew – including Marney O’Donoghue, Sean ‘Bawn’ O’Sullivan, Kyle Cronin, Aaron O’Boyle, John William O’Donoghue and Donagh Murphy – located the stricken vessel one mile south-west of Mizen Head.

In conditions of a 2-3m swell and Force 5 south-westerly winds, the lifeboat crew secured a tow and by 1am the vessel was safely back at Castletownbere Pier.

‘The fishing vessel made the right call in seeking assistance given the boat’s proximity to the shore and the prevailing wind conditions,’ the local lifeboat operations manager, Paul Stevens, told The Southern Star.

He also complimented the crew on their rapid response, as well as continuing to maintain strict Covid-19 protocols.