Boat users on Lough Derg urged to plan their routes

Photo courtesy of Lough Derg RNLI

Lough Derg RNLI are encouraging boat users to study their charts and plan their passage after rescuing eight people last night.

The crew were called to Ryan’s Point near Dromineer shortly before 10 o’clock where a cruiser had run aground.

The eight adults on board were transferred to the lifeboat while the 45 ft cruiser was attended to this morning.

Eleanor Hooker of Lough Derg RNLI says there’s a huge amount of traffic on the lake at the moment.

“It’s staycation time and people are using the lake. I’m looking out at the lake now and there are about 50 boats on the water.”

“Even when we’re travelling to shouts the traffic on the lake is quite extraordinary and occasionally people mightn’t know the rules of the road where you pass on the American side – you pass on the right – so we’re kind of weaving our way up the lake to the casualty vessel.”

It’s lovely to see this resource used – I mean were it the Mediterranean it would be heaving.”