FOUR PEOPLE WERE rescued from a fishing vessel that was taking on water off the coast of Co Cork this afternoon, Ballycotton RNLI said. 

Just after 4pm today, Ballycotton RNLI was alerted to the situation by Valentia Coastguard and launched its all-weather Trent-class lifeboat, The Austin Lidbury.

The crew on board the 14-metre fishing vessel had made an urgent request for assistance.

The Ballycotton crew were part of a multi-agency rescue effort that also involved the Irish Coast Guard’s Rescue 115 helicopter.

“On arrival, the lifeboat crew assessed the situation and deputy coxswain Eolan Breathnach was able to bring The Austin Lidbury alongside the fishing vessel,” the RNLI said. 

“Volunteer crew member Mike Kenneally then boarded the fishing boat as part of a controlled, slow-speed transfer, carrying RNLI emergency salvage pumping equipment.”

The coast guard helicopter also arrived on scene and remained on standby to assist if required, it added. 

When Kenneally got on board, he went below deck to assess the seriousness of the flooding on the fishing boat. 

“He quickly set up the salvage pump, which, working alongside the vessel’s own bilge pumps, reduced the water levels inside the fishing boat to a manageable level,” the RNLI said.

Because they were not far from Ballycotton Harbour, “a decision was made to escort it back to harbour under its own power”.

One of the crew on the fishing boat slipped and was injured while the salvage pump was being transferred from the rescue boat. 

This was relayed to the coast guard and an ambulance was dispatched to meet the vessel on its return.

Andy Browne, lifeboat operations manager at Ballycotton RNLI thanked those members of the crew who made themselves available “and acted quickly to prevent this critical incident from deteriorating further”.

Coxswain Eolan Breathnach was joined on the callout by volunteer crew members Eolan Walsh (Mechanic), Adrian Erangey, Stephen Sloane and Mike Kenneally.