NINE PEOPLE WERE rescued after a boat got into difficulty and was stranded on rocks by Ryan’s Point this afternoon.

The Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat was called to a 40-foot cruiser which had run aground at around 1.45pm.

An RNLI volunteer boarded the vessel and reassured everyone, all safe and unharmed, and asked them to put on their lifejackets.

The lifeboat attempted to take the vessel to deeper water but was forced to abandon the vessel and all nine people were taken onto the lifeboat and brought to Dromineer just after 3pm.

Lifeboat Operations Manager, Liam Maloney advised all boat users to ‘stay within the navigation channels on the lake, and to study your charts before setting out from port’.

This fine weather is to stay with us a while longer … remember to respect the water and think safety when in or around water.

The lifeboat crew also stopped a second boat from running aground on the same rocks while on route to Dromineer.

Read: Some important and timely advice from the ESB – don’t swim in reservoirs>