Lifeboat Comes to Aid of Stricken Fishing Boat in 50-Foot Seas Off Irish Coast

Crews from the Lough Swilly and Portrush RNLI launched in “extremely challenging” conditions at 2.15 pm on Saturday, December 14, after a mayday alert from a fishing boat, the Sean Og, off the northern coast of Ireland.

The Lough Swilly RNLI said on December 16 that the Sean Og and her five crew were fishing for crab when they got into difficulty off Fanad Head in Co Donegal. “The boat lost power and encountered steering difficulties while violent waves smashed the wheelhouse windows in,” the service said.

The volunteer life boat crews were facing force 9-10 gales and sea swells of 50 feet. The RNLI boat from Arranmore was also called in.

Given the conditions, the Lough Swilly crew left the fishermen on their vessel and worked with them to establish a tow. In the storm, the tow rope broke three times, the service said. The Arranmore boat then arrived and took over the tow, and brought the vessel back into the mouth of Lough Swilly. All involved were safe and well, Joe Joyce, a spokesman for the Lough Swilly service told Storyful.

“Our volunteers, 20 in all, spent almost 15 hours at sea, most of it in the hours of darkness,” Joyce said. “They faced gale-force conditions and 50ft swells but with great courage, selflessness and teamwork they successfully met and overcame those challenges to bring the fishermen to safety.” Credit: RNLI Lough Swilly via Storyful