An elderly couple have been rescued from a sinking vessel in Lough Derg.
Derg RNLI responded to mayday call-out just after 2pm this afternoon in Cloondevaun Bay, at the northeastern shore of Lough Derg.
The RNLI lifeboat arrived on-scene at around 2:30pm to find a 28 foot cruiser run aground on the rocks.
It was taking on water and sinking.
The Irish Coast Guard Rescue 115 helicopter was monitoring the situation from above.
An elderly couple were rescued from the sinking ship and taken on board.
The couple, form overseas with little English, were found to be in good health. They were both wearing their lifejackets.
They were brought to Terryglass Harbour, where they were given shelter, tea and dry clothes.
Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat operations manager Liam Maloney said it is always “best to stay with your vessel and only get into the water as a last resort” in a crisis situation.
He advised boat navigators to “always check the marker astern of you, to make you are not drifting into shallow water.”
