17 December 2016
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Castletownbere’s Lifeboat was tasked last evening to go to the aid of a 36 metre vessel which had experienced mechanical difficulties north of the Bull Rock off the coast of West Cork. The lifeboat, under command of Deputy Coxswain Sean Bawn O’Sullivan, was launched within minutes and located the vessel at anchor about one hour later. The vessel, the Ocean Guardian, was on passage from Castletownbere to Burtonport when it contacted Valentia Coastguard Radio. With light winds and 3 to 4 metre swell, RNLI volunteers passed a towrope to the crew onboard and the lifeboat took the vessel under tow to Castletownbere. When off Crow Head some time later, the towrope broke and had to be reattached. The tow was then completed without further difficulty. The vessel was berthed alongside the pier in Castletownbere at 2.30 a.m. this morning.
