SIX PEOPLE HAVE been rescued from a sinking vessel at Lough Ree on the River Shannon.
The incident occurred at lunchtime today, when the cruiser struck an object under the waterline and began to take on water.
An RNLI lifeboat was called to the scene, just south of Athlone, just after noon.
Six men, all believed to be aged in their 20s, were rescued from the vessel in two sets of three.
By the time all six men have been brought to safety, only the bow of the vessel remained visible above the water.
A warning was issued to other marine traffic to be aware of the wreck.
“I am relieved that all six people onboard the cruiser were recovered safely as the water was coming in quickly,” said RNLI Lough Ree operations manager Damien Delaney.
“All the men remained calm and listened to the instruction of the lifeboat crews, which resulted in a safe and speedy evacuation with nobody injured.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say