Sligo Bay RNLI comes to rescue lone sailor with miles out to sea

Sligo Bay RNLI volunteer crew were requested to launch by Malin Head Coast Guard shortly after 4pm on Sunday to assist a lone sailor aboard a 38ft yacht eight miles out at sea.

The Sheila and Dennis Tongue inshore lifeboat launched at 4.17pm with four crew members onboard and was on scene at 4.47pm. Sea conditions at the time were good.

Once there, the crew assessed the situation and found the sailor to be fine, but the wind had dropped and the yacht had experienced engine failure and was not able to make any headway. 

The sailor, reacting quickly, had called 999 and requested assistance from the Coast Guard who in turn paged the lifeboat. 

A lifeboat crew member went onboard to assist the sailor with setting up the tow with the lifeboat before the boat was towed back to the nearest safe port in Sligo town.

Speaking after the rescue, Michael Waters, Sligo Bay RNLI Helm said: “We launched to a 38ft steel hull yacht with one crew onboard that found itself becalmed due to no wind and engine failure eight miles west of the Wheat Rock buoy. 

“One of the lifeboat crew was put on board to help the sailor with the tow back to Sligo. The tow was quickly established, and we proceeded to the pontoon in Sligo town arriving at 7.20pm.”

Once the yacht was safely tied up the lifeboat returned to the station where it was was washed down, refuelled and made ready for service again by the volunteer shore crew.