THE LOUGH was the place to be last Saturday, when summer finally made a brief visit to Fermanagh, with both locals and visitors taking to the water. This led to the triple call-out for the Carrybridge lifeboat, the Douglas, Euan and Kay Richards, and its crew.
At around 1.10pm on Saturday the lifeboat and its crew were on their way to Enniskillen RNLI Station when they were diverted to a six-metre boat with four people on board, which had suffered engine problems around two-and-a-half miles from Carrybridge and was drifting into the reed bank.
All four people on the board were assessed by the RNLI crew as being safe and well. Due to the location of the boat, and the extreme heat a the time, it was decided to tow the boat back to Carrybridge.
When the RNLI crew arrived back and secure the boat at the public jetty, the crew continued on their way to the Enniskillen station.
When they were returning to Carrybridge later that evening, shortly after 7pm, they were waved down by someone on a seven-metre boat, around 500 metres from the Round O in Enniskillen, which had also experienced engine difficulties.
Having assessed the person on board as safe and well, once again the crew towed the vessel to a public jetty, before heading back on their return journey to Carrybridge once more.
Before they could reach home base, however, they were waved down once again, this time by someone on a jet ski, at the Bellanaleck public jetties. The jet skier told them that three family members were on board a seven metre sports boat that had encountered fuel problems approximately one mile away.
The boat was drifting in to the main navigation channel, and darkness was falling, so the crew once again towed it to safety.
Speaking afterwards, Carrybridge helm Chris Cathcart urged anyone venturing out on the water to ensure they have lifejackets and a way of calling for assistance.
He also urged anyone who sees someone in trouble or gets into difficulty themselves to call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.
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