Lifeboat crew help in dinghy tragedy Arranmore Ireland Division Arranmore lifeboat station has received a letter congratulating everyone involved for their conduct in a tragic incident on 29 July 1989 in which four young people lost their lives. The crew was involved throughout a week of searching for the victims.

The Tyne class lifeboat William Luckin had launched at 0235 after one man from a party of six (4 men and 2 women) who had been aboard a small dinghy had swum ashore to raise the alarm that the other five were missing.

The man called at the home of Mrs Mary Conlon who immediately rang her brother, the station's mechanic. She also telephoned other crew members so that the boarding craft was afloat within 15 minutes of the alarm being raised.

On their way to board the lifeboat the crew heard someone shouting in the water, and picked up a girl from the missing dinghy.

They brought her ashore to Mrs Conlon's house where both survivors were looked after.

The lifeboat crew then boarded William Luckin and illuminated the whole search area, accompanied by small local boats.

A thorough search was carried out all through the night, and the next day, until it became apparent that divers would be required.

The crew also manned the boarding boat to search shallow areas.

At about 0500 a local \. oat recovered the missing dinghy in a damaged condition about one-and-a-half miles from where the accident occurred, and at 0700 the Naval Service vessel L E Orla arrived and provided divers for a short period before going back to their ship. In all 56 divers from the Garda and from other voluntary diving clubs arrived.

The search continued until the last body was recovered on 5 August 1989, and as it was necessary to have a boat on scene during the time the divers were under the water the lifeboat crew manned the boarding boat on a voluntary basis all through the week.

The whole operation received widespread publicity and the parents of those lost and rescued later wrote letters of appreciation to the station and to the newspapers, as indeed did the British Ambassador, Sir Nicholas Fenn..