Sligo Bay RNLI Assists Yacht Club After Dinghies Capsize in Sudden Strong Winds
- Pat Nolan
- 1 day ago
- 1 min read
Monday 11 May 2026
Volunteer crew members from the Sligo Bay RNLI were called into action yesterday afternoon (Sunday, 10 May) after several dinghies capsized during sailing activities at Sligo Yacht Club when weather conditions unexpectedly deteriorated.
The inshore lifeboat was requested to launch at 3.14pm by the Irish Coast Guard after a senior instructor at the yacht club raised the alarm. As a precautionary measure, assistance was requested to support the club’s two safety boats as strong winds caused multiple dinghies to overturn at the same time, leaving several sailors in the water attempting to right their vessels.
The volunteer RNLI crew launched the Sheila & Dennis Tongue lifeboat at 3.23pm and made their way to the scene. Upon arrival, the crew assessed the situation and liaised with the senior instructor, who confirmed that all sailors had already been safely returned to shore by the yacht club’s safety boats.
The lifeboat crew remained on standby while the remaining dinghies were recovered and brought safely back to shore.
Speaking after the callout, Ross Palmer praised the response of the yacht club and its instructors.
“We would like to commend the yacht club for making the correct call today given the number of dinghies and sailors on the water,” he said.
“We would also like to commend the instructors involved today for their expertise in ensuring that all the sailors were brought to shore without delay and that the boats were recovered afterwards.”
As the summer season approaches, the RNLI is reminding everyone planning activities at sea to prepare properly before heading out on the water.
