One of the world's leading helicopter services company, CHC has built up an unparalleled reputation for excellence in SAR aviation over 20 years of operations for the Irish Coast Guard.

The tireless efforts of the team, who provide a 24-hour a day service from their Shannon base, has seen them awarded a special Directors Award for Outstanding Service to maritime search and rescue in Ireland.

Top Brass: (from left to right) Paul Truss, Eamonn O'Broin, Chris Reynolds and Liam Flynn

The award recognises the personal commitment of all the crews, engineers and staff that have, over a period of two decades from 1991 to 2011, significantly enhanced Ireland's ability to affect a successful rescue and saved many lives.

It was accepted by Shannon Chief Pilot Captain Liam Flynn, Chief Crewman Eamonn O'Broin and Base Manager Paul Truss. Director of the Irish Coast Guard, Chris Reynolds, presented the award at a screening of a television documentary about the unit in Ennis.

The programme, called Rescue 115, will be aired on Irish channel RTE and will give people the opportunity to get an intimate view of what the crew does.

Mark Kelly, managing director of CHC in Ireland, said: "I would like to extend my heart felt congratulations to each and every member of the Shannon team past and present on the Directors Award in recognition of outstanding service to the State.

"The Directors Award is a very prestigious award which has only been given eight previous times.

"In presenting the award at the premiere of Rescue 115, Chris Reynolds spoke of the outstanding service given by the Shannon base and its staff to the State over the last twenty years, during which time it has carried out 3,732 missions.

"It is a well deserved recognition of two decades of tremendous courage, loyalty and dedication to providing a world class search and rescue service."

Earlier this year, a CHC SAR crew was recognised with a Best of Irish award for their role in successfully recovering the pilot of a light aircraft which crashed in the Irish Sea.

CHC Helicopter is the world's largest offshore helicopter operator and provides civilian search and rescue services in Ireland, the UK, Norway and Australia.

Here's video of the salvage and righting operation after the capsize of the super maxi ocean racing yacht Rambler 100 during the Fastnet race 2011.

The 100-foot yacht capsized shorthly after rounding the Fastnet rock, the result it appears of a catastrophic keel failure.

All 21 crew were saved thanks to the work of the Irish emergency services. The footage is taken by Baltimore Sea Safari. All our Fastnet and Rambler 100 coverage is here.

Searching resumed at first light this morning for a teenager reported missing last night in Co Donegal.

The 17-year-old, believed to be from Derry, was last seen by friends around 1:30am when their group went swimming in Lough Swilly at Rathmullan, RTÉ News reports.

Garda divers and members of the Sheephaven Sub Aqua Club and have been assisting in the search.

Belfast Coastguard received a call at 4:45pm from a ferry passing the area reporting they had seen a RIB with no one on board between Ballycastle and Rathlin Island.

Coastguard Rescue Officers from Ballycastle and Portrush have been sent to the area. Belfast Coastguard have requested the launch of the Portrush RNLI all weather and Redbay RNLI inshore lifeboats and scrambled Rescue Helicopter 177 from RAF Prestwick to the scene.

Rob Steventon, Watch Manager, Belfast Coastguard, said:

"A major search is currently underway, with many other vessels in the area assisting.  We believe the occupant of the boat may well have fallen overboard as there is rope caught around the propeller."

The bodies of two fishermen missing off the Skerries coast since last Friday have been found.

Ronan Browne, 26, and David Gilsenan, 41, had not been seen since setting out from Skerries harbour on the morning of 1 April.

As previously reported by Afloat.ie, the alarm was raised when they had failed to return by 6.30pm and a coast guard search began immediately. 

Naval vessels joined the operation as the search continued following the discovery of an upturned hull and an oil slick near Clogherhead, Co Louth.

According to RTÉ News, at 1.40am yesterday morning a fishing vessel discovered the bodies of the two men caught in its fishing gear some five miles east of Clogherhead. They were recovered by RNLI lifeboat.

RTÉ News has more on the story HERE.

The meeting will provide an opportunity for the community around the existing Belfast Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) to hear more about the proposals, ask questions of MCA representatives and air their views.

The meeting at Marine Court Hotel, 18-20 Quay Street, Bangor. BT20 5ED will be independently chaired and begin at 7:30pm. The meeting is expecting to draw to a close by 9:00pm.

The proposals for Coastguard modernisation, together with the consultation documents, can be found on the MCA website at www.mcga.gov.uk  and www.dft.gov.uk

The call came in at 23.40 from a member of the marina staff after the boy's two friends had told him that all three of them had climbed over the gate into the pier, but that their friend had not come back and they were concerned that he must have fallen into the water.

Belfast Coastguard sent the Bangor Coastguard Rescue Team to begin a search, as well as requesting the launch of the Bangor RNLI lifeboat. Members of the Police, Ambulance and Fire Service are also on scene.

At 01.50, the boy was found hiding in a compartment in the crew accommodation of a fishing vessel near the pier, and the search was stood down.

Belfast Coastguard Watch Manager Alan Pritchard said:

"This group of three boys had been at a birthday party in the town before climbing the gate this evening to access the pier.  Incidents such as these remind of us of the dangers of being in proximity to the water when you have been drinking alcohol – be it going swimming, or walking along cliffs or piers.  Although on this occasion the boy has been found safe and well, this could easily have been a much more serious incident."

The body of a man was found yesterday on an uninhabited island in Galway Bay, according to RTÉ News.

The body was discovered on the shoreline of Rabbit Island, close to the entrance to Galway Harbour, by a coastguard helicopter during a search for a man seen falling into the River Corrib on Sunday night.

However the body is said to have been in the water for more than a week. 

A post-mortem was set to be carried out at Galway University Hospital yesterday afternoon, while the air and sea search of the bay continues.

An Irish diving instructor is feared dead on Thailand after separating from his team during a deep dive.

TheJournal.ie has compiled reports that Peter McCarthy was with another diver in Song Hong Lake in southern Thailand last weekend when he signalled his intention to stay behind. But he never resurfaced, and his colleagues now fear the worst.

The 47-year-old, who has lived in Thailand for 10 years, had apparently been leading a group of tourists on a dive, using SCUBA gear that allows divers to reach deeper depths than usual.

Boru Dive Unit

The principal activities of the club include diving, search and rescue and powerboating.

Boru Dive Unit, c/o Jason Kenny, Shanley, Inchdrinagh, Ballina/Killaloe. Email: [email protected]

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