Clogherhead RNLI come to the aid of fishing trawler off Louth coast

Clogherhead RNLI came to the aid of seven fishermen on Wednesday night after their fishing trawler got into difficulty 15 miles northeast of Clogherhead when fishing nets became snagged in its propeller.

The all-weather Shannon class lifeboat, the Michael O'Brien, was launched at 7.24pm under Coxswain Tomas Whelehan and with mechanic Ronan King and crew members Sean Reilly, Derek Shevlin and Carol Holcroft onboard.

The volunteer crew reached the 18m fishing trawler and found that the fishermen onboard who were all wearing lifejackets, were all safe and in good spirits but on assessment of the situation, notes the trawler could not make any safe onward progress because of its fouled propeller.

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It was decided that the best course of action was to tow the vessel to the nearest safe port, Port Oriel where they arrived at 11.30pm and where Clogherhead Coast Guard was present to provide assistance.

Speaking following the call out, Clogherhead RNLI Coxswain Tomas Whelehan­ said: “The fishing trawler snagged a net in its propeller which is a common occurrence especially in strong tidal conditions like the Irish Sea. With little marine traffic in the area and strong tidal conditions, although not in any immediate danger, the experienced skipper made the correct call to contact the Coast Guard when help was required.

“For anyone working at sea, we would encourage you to keep your vessel’s stability in mind so you can significantly reduce the risk of capsize, ensure your vessel is well maintained and make sure you can stay afloat in an emergency with a lifejacket, stay in touch with a radio or phone and stay put with a suitable anchor to secure your position. If you do get into difficulty, call the Coast Guard on VHF channel 16 or by phone on 999 or 112.”