Tragedy averted as 21 crew rescued

A TRAGEDY on the scale of the 1979 Fastnet Race disaster was narrowly avoided last night after a yacht taking part in the famous race capsized 20km off Baltimore, Co Cork. (Click here to see a clip of the survivors talking about the rescue.)

Some 21 people were rescued from the 100ft US-registered Rambler 100 yacht, which was taking part in the race from Cowes to Fastnet and back to Plymouth, when it capsized in force five winds just after 6.20pm.

A satellite distress signal was emitted from the vessel after it overturned and the Irish Coast Guard launched a large air and sea rescue operation.

At one stage as many as 10 people were feared missing. However, a spokesperson for the coastguard confirmed just before 9pm that 16 people were sitting on the hull of the upturned vessel, while the remainder were in a life raft.

Following notification of the incident, both the Shannon and Waterford Coast Guard helicopters were dispatched, while the Baltimore Lifeboat and the Castletownbere Coast Guard also attended the scene. Naval patrol ship the LÉ Ciara also assisted in the rescue arriving on the scene just before 9pm.

It is understood that the keel of the vessel broke just after passing the Fastnet, causing it to overturn within seconds.

Operations manager with the Irish Coast Guard Declan Geoghegan said all 21 survivors were safe and well but there was no information as to why the vessel capsized.

“We’ve located 16 casualties on the upturned hull and five people in a life raft,” he said. “The 16 casualties are on the Baltimore lifeboat and the other five casualties are on board a yacht which plucked them from the life raft.”.”

There were emotional scenes in Baltimore, where crowds gathered on the pier and applauded as the Baltimore RNLI crew came ashore with 16 rescued sailors. Onlookers said they had feared a repeat of the 1979 disaster. Four more sailors were brought ashore by a boat belonging to one of the lifeboat’s crew members.

It is understood the Shannon Coast Guard helicopter airlifted one woman to Farranfore Airport, from where she was transferred to Kerry General Hospital in Tralee last night.

Sea conditions at the time of the incident were described as not particularly rough. However, the rescue operation had to contend with foggy conditions which hampered visibility.