The volunteer RNLI crew at Kilmore Quay responded at the request of the Irish Coast Guard at 11.46 am on Friday after bird watchers on the Great Saltee Islands made a 999 call for help.
The bird watchers attention was drawn towards two people at the bottom of the ragged coast at the south side of the Island, both were waving to make their presence known.
The lifeboat crew arrived at the scene 30 minutes later. The casualties were located to the west of Makestone rock on a rocky outcrop with their small craft close by. The lifeboat crew launched the daughter boat and proceeded into the casualties.
Weather conditions were overcast with a fresh breeze blowing from the southwest. The two casualties were taken on board the daughter boat and transferred to the lifeboat. Their small craft was in the cove and it was towed out to the lifeboat and then towed back to Kilmore Quay.
Later it was established that the outboard on the small boat had stopped and they had drifted on to the shore at the Great Saltee. The Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117 and a number of local fishing boats also responded. Kilmore Quay RNLI Coxswain Eugene Kehoe said; “Fortunately the bird watchers were on the island or the casualties would have been stranded for a while longer. Our volunteer crew members drew on all their training to effect a successful rescue.”