Dún Laoghaire RNLI brings sailor to safety after yacht gets into difficulty

A group of 22 volunteers and supporters had gathered at the lifeboat station in preparation to welcome Taidhg Trocmé, a teenager who walked over 390km solo from Arranmore Island in Donegal, to Dún Laoghaire in aid of the RNLI, when the pagers sounded.

The all-weather lifeboat Anna Livia was requested to launch by the Irish Coast Guard to assess the situation in which a 38ft yacht with one onboard was reported to be in difficulty after a propeller fouled in a lobster pot line in Scotsman’s Bay. The lifeboat launched at 3.07pm.

The sailor had been trying to free their vessel for some time on their own but to no avail. Upon assessment, Coxswain Gerald Sharkey decided to transfer two crew members aboard the vessel to assist the sailor. With some considerable effort, a challenging line was cut, and the boat was set free. The operation took over an hour to get the yacht back safely to Dún Laoghaire Marina.

A second call for assistance from the Coast Guard came just after 5pm following a report that five people were cut off by the tide at Sandymount Strand, but the crew were stood down as the request was cancelled before the D-class inshore lifeboat left the station.

With minutes to spare before Taidhg crossed the gates of the lifeboat station, the crew sprinted from the bottom of the East Pier in their full lifeboat kit to be there in time to greet him with the other volunteers.

The Leaving Certificate student set off from his local lifeboat station on Arranmore Island on 7 August and arrived in Dún Laoghaire having clocked up almost 400km of walking and over €1,500 in funds. Taidhg documented his travels on his Instagram account @DonegalToDublin.

He said: 'Coming from an island, the lifeboats are a core part of my local community, and I wanted to help the wonderful volunteers who crew lifeboat stations all over our coast. Plus, raising funds while reconnecting with nature was a productive way to take my mind off the wait for my exam results, but I’ll be glad to sleep in my bed again.

Declan Traynor, Dun Laoghaire RNLI Launch Authority said: 'There’s never a dull moment in Dún Laoghaire. We were ready to respond to the rescue as well congratulate Taidhg on a remarkable feat. We wish him a safe homeward journey and the best of luck with the exam results. We thank him for taking on this mammoth challenge for the charity, his generosity will continue to power our lifesaving work at sea.'

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RNLI media contacts

For more information, please contact Aoife Ward, Dún Laoghaire RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 085 140 2472, email: a[email protected] or contact Nuala McAloon RNLI Regional Media Officer Ireland on 00353876483547 or email [email protected] or Niamh Stephenson RNLI Regional Media Manager Ireland on 00353871254124 or[email protected]

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The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.

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