Lifeboats

16th August 2010

Lifeboat Rescues Two Near Old Head of Kinsale

The Kinsale RNLI Lifeboat was launched at 5.15 pm on Sunday afternoon to go to the aid of a 17ft Mastercraft, with two passengers on board, which had lost power and was anchored one mile east off the Old Head of Kinsale.

Sunday was one of the busiest sailing days of the summer, with very crowded seas. The distressed craft did not have a radio on board. Their only means of contact with shore was a weak mobile phone signal. Thankfully conditions were flat and visibility good, so helmsman Temba Jere and crew members Mark Lewis and Ian Fitzgerald were able to locate the boat and tow it back to the safety of Kinsale Harbour within 40 minutes.

The RNLI offers a free SEA Check service to all boat users which will help you make sure you have all the right safety equipment on board. Call freefone 1800 789 589 and the RNLI team will be happy to advise you.

The Kinsale RNLI Lifeboat was launched at 5.15 pm on Sunday afternoon to go to the aid of a 17ft Mastercraft, with two passengers on board, which had lost power and was anchored one mile east off the Old Head of Kinsale.
Sunday was one of the busiest sailing days of the summer, with very crowded seas. The distressed craft did not have a radio on board. Their only means of contact with shore was a weak mobile phone signal. Thankfully conditions were flat and visibility good, so helmsman Temba Jere and crew members Mark Lewis and Ian Fitzgerald were able to locate the boat and tow it back to the safety of Kinsale Harbour within 40 minutes.

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9th August 2010

Tamar-Class Lifeboat Visits Irish Waters

The Tamar-class lifeboat is the latest in a series of high-tech craft within the RNLI lifeboat fleet and in use throughout the UK. The class is named after the River Tamar, Cornwall and like other lifeboats, they are named after large rivers, writes Jehan Ashmore.

To date 17 Tamar-class boats have been commissioned for the lifesaving institution. Some of the Tamar class fleet are constructed exclusively for the purposes of providing relief-duties across the extensive network of stations. One of these relief lifeboats, RNLB Frank and Ann Wilkinson (16-06) arrived at Dun Laoghaire on 17 July. The relief Tamar's transit took two-days to reach the harbour from the RNLI's headquarters based at Poole. The lifeboat called at Plymouth for bunkers and made an overnight stay at Penlee prior to arriving at Dun Laoghaire, where another fuel-stop was undertaken.

The craft carried-out training exercises in Dublin Bay, which included a couple of trainees from the Dun Laoghaire lifeboat crew. The Tamar class lifeboat was in Irish waters primarly to cater for other station crews within the divisional staff training programme. There are no Tamar-class lifeboats operating in Irish waters, at present, though the RNLI have plans to introduce the class.

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Tamar-class relief lifeboat RNLI Frank and Ann Wilkinson (16-06) nearing Dun Laoghaire. Photo © Jehan Ashmore/ShipSNAPS

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7th August 2010

Cold Swimmer Rescued in Portrush Harbour

A teenager was rescued from Portrush Harbour after a very cold swim out to a moored boat to collect some fishing gear.

After swimming across the harbour to the moored boat the teenager called for help. Belfast Coastguard co-ordinated the rescue and sent the Portrush ILB Lifeboat and the Coleraine Coastguard Rescue team to the scene.

The Portrush lifeboat took the teenager from the boat to the pontoon where he received first aid from the Coastguard Rescue team before being transferred to hospital by ambulance.

Belfast Coastguard Watch Manager Alan Pritchard said:
"It may be summer but the sea is chilly and the cold can seriously affect swimmers.
"If you are going to take a dip please know you're limits and remember cold water shock can be dangerous, even if you're young and fit and think you're able."

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5th August 2010

Fenit Lifeboat Recover Injured Woman from Great Blasket Island

At 03.41 this morning (Thursday 5 August 2010) Fenit RNLI lifeboat crew were requested to launch by Valentia Coast Guard to go to the assistance of a woman injured on the Great Blasket Island. The woman had fallen and sustained injuries to her leg and the Fenit RNLI all weather lifeboat was launched to recover her from the island and bring her ashore to Dingle to a waiting ambulance.

With no slipway or pier on the island and extremely shallow water at the landing point, the only way for the lifeboat crew to access the island was by launching the XP boat (a small inflatable boat carried onboard the lifeboat)

Four crew members went onto the island and made their way to the woman's house which was almost half a mile in and about 600 feet above sea level. The task was made more difficult due to the fact that the ground was extremely wet and slippery.

The woman was placed on a stretcher and carried back down the hill by the RNLI Fenit Lifeboat crew members. The stretcher was then placed across the xp boat and transferred to the lifeboat by the crew.

Commenting on the incident JP Brick of Fenit RNLI said, " This was a challenging callout for the lifeboat crew. The remote location made it difficult to access the island. The lifeboat crew needed to take a stretcher with them for the casualty and then return down the slippery terrain to the waiting XP boat. From there they travelled out to the waiting lifeboat and transferred the casualty onboard. This is where lifeboat crew training and equipment comes to the fore and the medivac was completed successfully."

On medical advice the casualty was brought to Dingle Marina where she was collected by ambulance and transferred to Tralee General Hospital

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28th July 2010

Sea Safety Team To Offer Advice in Dun Laoghaire this Weekend

Visitors to RNLI at Dun Laoghaire will be able to view the new inshore lifeboat (ILB) that recently arrived when the station holds its annual open day on Saturday 31st July 2010 (11am to 5pm).

For the first time, the recently-formed Sea Safety team will also be on hand to offer advice to visitors on how best to prepare for trips afloat and boating activities.

Equipment demonstrations and model boat displays will also be part of the attractions including the station's All-Weather lifeboat (ALB). Crew-members, who operate on a fully-voluntary basis will be demonstrating various items of rescue equipment and the ALB " Anna Livia" will be alongside offering close-up views of this €2 million rescue craft.

There are two lifeboats at Dun Laoghaire, a Trent class ALB and a D-Class ILB (Inshore lifeboat) of the new IB1-type that was recently delivered to the 207-year old station and is based in the nearby historic boathouse at the East Pier. This lifeboat, named 'Realt Na Mara' , was funded by the genorisity of a family in Dublin. The station's shop selling souvenirs and other lifeboat-related items will also be open, helping to raise funds for the voluntary service.

The Sea Safety team, part of the RNLI's stated aim of improving safety at sea through education and information can also take bookings for the free 'Sea Check' service that assists boat-owners. The Dun Laoghaire RNLI station is one of 43 based in the Ireland division that operate 55 lifeboats that launched on 976 occasions and rescued 1,008 people in 2009.

Dun Laoghaire is regularly amongst the busiest and last year launched on 68 occasions and rescued 92 people. For more information, please visit http://www.dunlaoghaire-lifeboat.ie

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26th July 2010

Wicklow Lifeboat Launches Twice at the Weekend

Wicklow lifeboat launched at 10.07am on Sunday morning ( 25th July) to assist a 32 foot yacht with mechanical problems. The yacht was at located 11.00am 13 miles North East of Wicklow harbour becalmed and unable to motor. The lifeboat crew quickly established a towline and the yacht with 3 people onboard was taken back to Wicklow Harbour, the vessel was safely alongside the quay by 1.15pm and the lifeboat returned to station. Crew list - Coxswain Nick Keogh, Mechanic Lisa O Leary, Brendan Kavanagh Wayne Jones, John Docherty and Brian Sinnot.

A few hours later pagers were activated to alert the volunteer crew and the lifeboat put to sea again at 3.42pm, this time to give assistance to a rigid inflatable boat that had broken down with 5 people onboard near the Silver Strand. The lifeboat located the 5 metre Rib South of Wicklow head. 3 children were taken onboard the lifeboat and the Rib was towed back to Wicklow harbour, where all 5 people were landed safely.
Crew list: Coxswain Ciaran Doyle, Mechanic Lisa O Leary, Tommy McAulay , Barry Spencer, Tommy Murphy and John Docherty.

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Wicklow Lifeboat Launches at the Weekend. Photo: courtesy Wicklow lifeboat

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16th July 2010

Trawler Fouls Prop, Calls Lifeboat for Tow

Ballycotton lifeboat was called on to lend assistance to a 23 metre fishing vessel in difficulties, 31 miles south of Ballycotton today. The Irish registered vessel, with five on board, contacted the emergency services when they fouled their propeller. The Ballycotton lifeboat, Austin Lidbury, arrived on scene at 12:00 and established a towline. The vessel was safely towed to Ballycotton harbour.

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14th July 2010

Castletownbere RNLI Rescues Man from Sinking Fishing Vessel off Cork Coast

Castletownbere Lifeboat was launched this afternoon at 12.20pm to go to the assistance of a 43 ft fishing vessel taking on water 17 miles south west of Castletownbere in county Cork. To view the RNLI Video scroll down to the bottom of the post.

When the lifeboat crew arrived on scene they saw that the three crew had got into a liferaft as their fishing vessel was taking on a considerable amount of water and was in danger of sinking.

Conditions were described as fair with a large 4 metre groundswell. The Coast Guard helicopter from Shannon winched two of the fishing crew off the liferaft but a third man was in the water. Castletownbere lifeboat crew immediately recovered the man onto the lifeboat. With the casualty safely on the lifeboat, two RNLI crewmembers brought a salvage pump on board and proceed to pump the water from the fishing vessel. It was then taken under tow by the lifeboat and brought back to the harbour.

The rescued man did not need any further medical attention. The Irish Navel vessel the LE Eithne was also on scene during the rescue. Commenting on the callout Castletownbere RNLI crewmember Paul Stevens said, “ This callout thankfully resulted in a happy ending with three men being brought to safety. We were also able to bring the fishing vessel ashore in one piece. I am sure the three men are in shock but they had a lucky escape.”

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13th July 2010

Lifeboat Creates Wash to Assist Yacht Aground

Baltimore RNLI inshore lifeboat Bessie, was launched this morning to assist a yacht that had gone aground at an area called the Sound, North West of Baltimore Harbour. The alarm was raised at 11:52am when the 36ft Sun Odyssey yacht was seen aground across the Harbour. Helmsman Youen Jacob with his crew of Kieran Collins and John McDonagh made their way to the stricken vessel on an RNLI twin engine Atlantic 75 RIB. On arrival at the scene they found the crew hauling on their anchor line in an attempt to pull themselves off the rocks. The inshore lifeboat gave assistance by creating a wash which lifted the boat from its rocky perch. The lifeboat then escorted the yacht back to Baltimore Harbour. The yacht did not suffer any significant damage and all four passengers on board, two men and two women were uninjured.

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6th July 2010

Fenit RNLI Launch to Assist Stricken Catamaran With Two Onboard

At 5.45pm yesterday evening Monday July 5th, Fenit RNLI Lifeboat launched to assist a 40 foot Catamaran which was taking on water. The vessel which had left Donegal en route to France was 20 miles west of Loop Head and there were 2 people on board.

On arriving at the location of the stricken vessel volunteer crew members with Fenit RNLI Lifeboat immediately boarded the catamaran with a salvage pump and proceeded to pump the water from the vessel. Once they were happy that this process was working satisfactorily they put the vessel on tow and proceeded towards Fenit.

On arrival back in Fenit just before 1am this morning, arrangements were in place by Fenit RNLI members on shore and the catamaran was lifted onto the Pier by the Fenit Harbour Board Crane.

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