Achill Island RNLI were requested by the Irish Coast Guard to assist two men on board a small open pleasure craft which was drifting off Old Head yesterday afternoon.
The all-weather lifeboat ‘Sam and Ada Moody’ launched at 3.10pm under the command of Dave Curtis, Coxswain, with Ivan Swarbrigg, Terry Hogarth, Tomas Ruddy, Alex Blackmun and Shane Guthrie also on board.
The Westport Coast Guard unit were also requested to assist. There was good visibility at the time with a westerly Force 6 wind and moderate sea conditions.
The drifting vessel was located around 2 miles east of Old Head.
On arrival, the crew observed that the two men on board were well and that they were both wearing Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs).
After assessing the situation, a decision was made for the Westport Coast Guard Delta to establish a tow and take the men and their small craft back to the safety of Old Head as the lifeboat stood by, ready to further assist if needed.
Once the two men were safely back at the shore, the lifeboat departed the scene for Achill Island, some 25 minutes away, arriving back at 5.30pm.