Mayday call ends well as sailor, alone on broken down yacht, is towed to safety

A Mayday call was answered by Crosshaven RNLI this morning.

RNLI Volunteers responded to a report of a ‘Mayday’ call from Valentia Coast Guard at 10.15am this morning after a 35-foot yacht suffered engine failure.

The yacht, with one person onboard was on passage from Monkstown to Crosshaven before suffering engine failure at the Cobh Roads near the pilot station.

The Crosshaven RNLI said weather conditions were a southerly force 4/5 which meant the vessel was on a lee shore.

The RNLI lifeboat made swift progress to the casualty and found the vessel under tow by the Port of Cork Pilot Launch.

The tow was then slipped and taken up by the RNLI lifeboat before the vessel was towed to Crosshaven Boatyard.

The lifeboat was washed down, refuelled and declared ready for service at 12.15pm.

Helm, Aidan O’Connor said it was good that the skipper made the Mayday call early: “The skipper was in a dangerous position and made the right call early."

The Crosshaven RNLI crew onboard the lifeboat was: Aidan O’Connor, Susanne Deane, Jonny Bermingham and Norman Jackson.

The Crosshaven RNLI Shore Crew were Conor Barry, Michael McCann, Darryl Hughes with Hugh Mockler DLA.