A trio of haphazard sailors had a lucky escape on Sunday in Howth after the inflatable dinghy they were sailing in was being blown away by wind.
The volunteer RNLI rescue team were called out to the incident yesterday evening after the three people, who were without lifejackets, got into difficulty at Howth Sound. They were attempting to row back to Burrow beach when another sailor noticed they were in difficulty and called the incident in.
Thankfully the volunteer lifeboat crew got to the trio within minutes and they were taken to the safety of Howth harbour. But a stark warning about the dangers of inflatables in the Irish sea was issued by the RNLI following the scary incident.
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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.”
This was the second rescue incident for the Howth RNLI on Sunday after an earlier situation where a motorboat with three people onboard suffered engine failure. The incident happened two miles north of Ireland's Eye off the coast of Howth.
The lifeboat, which was under the command of Second Coxswain Ian Sheridan, located the boat within 15 minutes and everyone on board was well. The crew then passed a tow line from the lifeboat and the boat was towed back to Howth harbour.
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