SIX FISHERMEN HAVE been rescued from a stricken vessel off the coast of Dublin after an early hours call-out for the volunteer rescue crew of Dun Laoghaire RNLI.

A call came in to Dun Laoghaire for assistance at around 2.50am after a 25 metre trawler reported it was in trouble outside the Kish Bank – around 11km from the coast.

The crew had been fishing for scallop when a rope got caught in the craft’s propellor.

The Irish Coast Guard requested that the southside rescue crew launch its all-weather vessel, which set-sail at 3am.

The rescuers were met by a Force 9 gale and three to four metre waves as they progressed out through Dublin Bay.

According to an RNLI spokesperson:

“The crew arrived on scene shortly before 4am where they assessed the situation and checked that the casualty’s crew were safe.

With no one in immediate danger, the lifeboat crew started working with the fishermen to set up a tow.

However, the high winds and poor visibility made that task extra-challenging – and successive attempts to secure the towline failed before it was finally established.

The towline broke three times on the way back into Howth – and a call was put out to the northside RNLI crew to assist shortly before 10am.

The trawler and crew were safely returned to shore around an hour later.

“The high winds and rough seas made this call out particularly challenging,” lifeboat cox David Brannigan said. 

We persevered and thankfully were able to return the fishermen and their vessel safely to shore.