Six people rescued by Howth RNLI over weekend as good weather persists

Howth RNLI inshore lifeboat helm Tom Ryan thanked the member of the public, who 'did the right thing in calling the coast guard straight away'.  Picture: Tom Ryan

Six people were successfully rescued by the volunteer rescue crew of Howth RNLI, following two incidents where boats suffered from engine failure.

The crew were alerted to reports of a sailing yacht with three people onboard suffering engine failure on its route from Malahide to Howth, Co Dublin on Friday night.

The lifeboat crew located the yacht before passing a tow line from the lifeboat and towing the boat back to Howth harbour.

In a second incident, the crew were contacted by Dublin Coast Guard this morning following a 999 call from a member of the public who had witnessed a small motorboat drifting towards the rocks east of Howth harbour. The motorboat had three people on board also.

Ten minutes after the call, the lifeboat made its way out to the motorboat, assisted by the Howth Coast Guard unit.

The crew described the winds as "moderate", coming from the north east, and so causing breaking waves towards the east pier of Howth.

Fortunately, the motorboat members had deployed an anchor which ensured they were safe from the rocks. With the help of a tow line, the crew managed to successfully instruct the motorboat members, returning them to the safety of Howth harbour.

Howth RNLI inshore lifeboat helm Tom Ryan thanked the member of the public, who "did the right thing in calling the coast guard straight away. 

"When the winds are blowing onshore and a boat is broken down, every minute counts. Our volunteer crew responded quickly once the pager went off and we launched the lifeboat within minutes."

The broken down motorboat at Howth harbour. Picture: Howth Coast Guard

"As the summer weather takes hold, and more people are heading out on the water, we have some helpful guidance for boat owners: ensure you have undergone the right training so that you can develop your skills to be prepared for when things go wrong; take time to ensure your engine is well maintained; and if you do get into difficulty make sure you have an anchor on board and a means of calling for help," he said.

"Our volunteer lifeboat crew are on call 24/7 and if you do get into difficulty or you see someone in trouble call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard,' Mr Ryan added.