Six people rescued off Dublin coast in separate incidents

Six people were rescued off the coast of Dublin by Howth RNLI on Sunday in two separate incidents.

The Howth RNLI all-weather lifeboat was launched shortly after 3pm to reports of a motorboat with three people on board which had suffered engine failure two miles north of the Ireland’s Eye, an uninhabited island off the coast of Howth.

Weather conditions were good with light southerly winds.

The lifeboat located the broken-down vessel within 15 minutes of launching.

Once it was established that all on board were well, the crew passed a tow line from the lifeboat and the boat was towed back to Howth harbour.

Inflatable dinghy

A second incident was reported at 7.15pm when a call came in from a concerned sailor regarding an inflatable dinghy in Howth sound with three people on board who were attempting to row back to Burrow beach.

Due to the southerly winds, the inflatable was being blown offshore.

The lifeboat reached the inflatable in minutes, and it was observed that none of the three on board were wearing life jackets.

The crew took the three individuals onto the lifeboat and returned them to the safety of Howth harbour.

Howth RNLI inshore lifeboat helm Ian Martin said: "Although the conditions for heading out on the water were good today, things can change very quickly and with inflatables like these, even the slightest wind can take them out to sea.

"That is why inflatables are not suitable for Irish waters.

"It’s also really important that anyone going out on the water wears a life jacket that is suitable for the activity they are doing and that it is in good working order and fits well.

"With the good weather forecast for the coming week, we expect a lot of people will be spending time on or near the water. If you do get into trouble, remember to Float to Live - lean back, using your arms and legs to stay afloat. Control your breathing, then call for help or swim to safety. In a coastal emergency call 999 or 112 for the Coast Guard."