Castletownbere RNLI assists three fishermen off West Cork coast

Wednesday 23 July 2025

Castletownbere RNLI launched their all-weather lifeboat this morning (Wednesday 23 July) to go to the immediate assistance of three fishermen on a trawler which got into difficulty off the West Cork Coast.

Photo Credit: RNLI/Castletownbere

The Irish Coast Guard’s Marine Research Coordination Centre in Valentia requested the RNLI lifeboat when it had received a report that a 44ft trawler, with three people onboard, had gone ashore North of Dursey Sound and was taking on water.

The lifeboat, Annette Hutton, was requested at 7.55am and launched within minutes under the command of Coxswain Sean O’Sullivan, mechanic Martin Cronin with volunteer crew Carl Cronin, Dion Kelly and Will Power onboard.

The vessel had managed to steam towards Castletownbere and when the lifeboat located the vessel West of Crow Head at 8.40am, two local fishing boats were on standby to lend assistance. Weather on scene was described as calm. The Shannon-based Coast Guard rescue helicopter Rescue 115 arrived 10 minutes later. Once it was established that the vessel was able to make way under her own steam, the helicopter was stood down and the lifeboat escorted the vessel to Castletownbere Pier arriving at 10.20am. One crew member received medical attention at Castletownbere.

Paul Stevens, Castletownbere RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, complimented the lifeboat crew on their swift response, and thanked local fishing vessel crews and the Coast Guard helicopter crew for their timely assistance.