Union Hall RNLI comes to the assistance of yacht

Two people were assisted on Tuesday night by the RNLI in Union Hall after their 34ft yacht developed mechanical difficulties.

The Irish Coast Guard tasked the volunteer crew of the inshore lifeboat, the Margaret Bench of Solihull, at 9pm.

The crew – who were on a training exercise at the time – included helmsman Michael Limrick, Liam Limrick and Craig Jennings.

It was the first shout for volunteer crew member Craig Jennings, who is originally from Mayo but is now living in Union Hall.

The lifeboat made its way to the area off Toe Head, where the crew could see that the yacht was making progress but was slow due to mechanical issues.

The sea conditions were good at the time, with a moderate northerly breeze, but the volunteer crew stayed alongside the yacht in order to escort it safely back to the pier at Union Hall.

Peter Deasy, Union Hall’s RNLI deputy launching authority explained how the crew were on the point of returning after a busy training session but turned around and responded to call.

‘What started as a three-hour training session for Craig turned into nearly five hours at sea and included his first call out with Union Hall RNLI,’ he said.

'I'm delighted to be part of the team,' Craig told The Southern Star. 'I see joining the RNLI as giving back to the community. The people of Union Hall have been very good to me and my family since I moved here six years ago, and I'm happy to be here.'