Two sailors are rescued off Cork coast as yacht drifted in poor weather

TWO sailors were rescued off the Cork coast when their eleven metre yacht lost its steering and began drifting out to sea in poor weather conditions.

Kinsale RNLI launched its inshore rescue craft after the crew raised the alarm shortly before 5pm on Saturday (June 29).

The rescue - which was coordinated by the Coast Guard - was complicated by choppy seas with a driving wind and reduced visibility due to sea fog.

Kinsale's inshore rescue craft was helmed by Ian Fitzgerald and crewed by Jonny Green, John Walley and Karl Dempsey.

The yacht had drifted almost 12km towards the Seven Heads after it lost its steering.

Arriving on the scene, the lifeboat crew observed that both sailors were safe and well and were wearing their lifejackets.

However, due to the loss of steering and the yacht being unable to make any safe progress, a decision was made to tow the vessel to Kinsale Yacht Club Marina where they arrived safely at 7pm.

Kinsale RNLI Helm Ian Fitzgerald said the two sailors had reacted properly and professionally to the incident.

"We would like to commend the two sailors who were both wearing life jackets and had all the right communication and navigation equipment onboard," he said.

"Conditions at sea were poor at the time and they made the right decision to call for help when they knew they were in difficulty and the yacht was drifting out to sea."

Mr Fitzgerald urged anyone engaging in water sports over the summer to prepare properly and know how to respond in case of an emergency.

"As we begin the summer holidays, we would remind anyone planning a trip or activity at sea to go prepared.

"Check weather and tides before venturing out, carry a means of communication and let someone on the shore know where you are going and when you are due back.

"Should you get into difficulty or see someone else in trouble, call 999 or 112 or use VHF Channel16 and ask for the Coast Guard."

RNLI crews across Ireland and the UK launched a total of 9,192 times in 2023 and helped save 355 lives.

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