Displaying items by tag: RNLI
Swimming from Rathlin to Ballycastle for the RNLI
Gary explained further 'The swim is from Rathlin to Ballycastle and is planned for the weekend of 4-5 September. I won't be wearing a wetsuit and the swim is approximately 7 miles. Water temperature will be approx. 12 degrees and the challenge isn't so much the distance as the large number of Lions Mane jellyfish which lie between Rathlin and Ballycastle and the very strong and treacherous currents which swirl around the island. I am doing the swim for RNLI in memory of my friend and training partner, Ciaran McGinn who completed the endurance swim in 2007 and raised funds for his charity, Ballycastle RNLI. Training has gone well and I've done a 15K open water swim, Portrush to Portstewart two-way and a swim from Ballycastle to Fairhead in preparation for the event. I've been stung by the jellies and got my body used to the chilly waters. The swim to Fairhead last weekend opened my eyes to the strong currents when I made no progress for 90 mins on way back to Ballycastle and had to jump out onto road and hitch a lift back into town! Hopefully the tides will be kinder to me on day of swim. I'll be accompanied by Portrush kayaker Andrew Bingham who will follow the rib and provide me with an energy drink every hour. In accordance with ILDSA rules, at no time will I be permitted to touch the boat or kayak. Donations can be made online at justgiving.com/gary-knox and there are collection boxes in the shops along the prom in Ballycastle. In the event of bad weather, swim will be rescheduled for mid Sept or October. The swim has a low success rate and is very dependent on conditions and tides on the day'
Gary who is a French teacher, 38, and swimming coach at CAI who took up sea swimming in 2008 and lives in Aghadowey. On Sunday he came down to meet the crew and tell them about the swim.
Judy Barr Lifeboat Press Officer said,
This is an amazing feat for anyone to attempt and we are delighted that Gary is raising funds for our volunteer crews and the Station who depends on donations to keep our two boats available for rescues at sea.'
Search for Missing Kayaker Ends After Women's Body Recovered
The search from Lleyn to Morfa Nefyn, Fort Belan and Llanddwyn involved RNLI all weather lifeboats from Holyhead and Porth Dinllaen, two helicopters from the RAF at Valley together with a North Wales Police helicopter and Coastguard Rescue Teams from Aberdaron, Porth Dinllaen and Llandwrog. It resumed after a red Avocet kayak, like the one used by missing female kayaker, was found on the beach at Morfa Nefyn on the Lleyn peninsular this morning.
Search Resumes After Missing Kayak Located
Early this morning a red Avocet kayak answering the description of the one used by missing female kayaker, Elizabeth Ashbee, a member of Shrewsbury Kayak Club, was found on the beach at Morfa Nefyn on the Lleyn peninsular. There is no apparent damage to the craft. It has now been confirmed that the craft was the one being used by Ms Ashbee.
The North Wales Police were informed who have now inspected the vessel and the maritime search and rescue operation has now resumed. The family of the missing woman has been informed.
Holyhead RNLI all weather lifeboat was asked to resume its search, and two helicopters from the RAF at Valley together with a North Wales Police helicopter are conducting a shoreline search in Caernarfon Bay, particularly from Lleyn to Morfa Nefyn, Fort Belan and Llanddwyn.
Coastguard Rescue Teams from Aberdaron, Porth Dinllaen and Llandwrog are also engaged in searching the coastline in the Bay.
Holyhead Coastguard have been broadcasting pan signals into area alerting shipping to the resumed search.
The weather on scene is a slight sea, with good visibility and south westerly winds of between 10 – 12 knots.
Ms Ashbee, wearing a dry suit and a buoyancy aid went missing Sunday afternoon in her kayak in poor weather and was last seen heading through rocks at Ynys Feurig, or Starvation Island, close to Rhosneigr. An area of up to 60 square miles has now been covered in the search.
Members of the Shrewsbury Kayak Club have also arrived on scene and are assisting Coastguard units in the search.
Irish Sea Kayaker Feared Dead
A kayaker is feared dead after disappearing in treacherous conditions off the coast of Anglesey on the far side of the Irish Sea. The 53-year-old mother-of-two was separated from four other canoeists between Rhosneigr and Rhoscolyn as they were battered by waves and heavy winds at around 2.30pm on Sunday.
The rest of the party were washed ashore but the woman from Shrewsbury has not been seen since then.
Her disappearance saw a major land and sea search launched with the police and RAF Valley helicopters, three lifeboats and dozens of coastguard officers scouring the area.
They were yesterday joined by a fixed wing aircraft and SARDA search and rescue dogs who were searching the coastline in case she had been washed up injured onto the shore.
The chance of her being found alive was fading with every passing hour but the coastguard said they had not given up hope. More HERE from the North Wales Daily Post.
Dun Laoghaire Lifeboats Assist Swamped Yacht
Both lifeboats at Dun Laoghaire RNLI station were launched this afternoon when a 20 foot yacht with two persons on board got into difficulty close to a rocky shoreline on Dublin Bay.
The incident occurred around 5pm when the Flying 15 keelboat became swamped by the choppy conditions in the area known as Scotman's Bay between Dun Laoghaire and Sandycove. A sea-angling boat, the Brandon Lisa and a local rigid inflatable (RIB) went to the assistance of the casualty.
Volunteer crews of both lifeboats were paged by the Irish Coastguard service's 'MRCC Dublin' at 5.08pm and launched 12 minutes later.
Arriving at the nearby scene, the two occupants were trying to drop the sails and secure their equipment. Both were wearing buoyancy aids and were
uninjured.
The inshore lifeboat assisted preparing the casualty vessel for towing by the RIB while the All-weather lifeboat 'Anna Livia' provided an escort to the inner-coal harbour in Dun Laoghaire where the boat was brought ashore.
Lifeboat Rescues Flying Fifteen Crew
A rescue operation to recover a Flying fifteen keelboat and its two crew is underway on Dublin bay this evening. The 20-foot sailing boat capsized in strong north westerly winds in Scotsman's Bay. Both Dun Laoghaire's inshore and offshore lifeboats and a local RIB is at the scene.
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New Lifeboat for Shannon Estuary
Volunteers at Kilrush Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station on the Shannon Estuary have received a new state-of-the-art lifeboat which enters service this month.
The Atlantic 85 RIB (Rigid Inflatable boat) is not only bigger and more powerful than Kilrush's existing craft but it also fitted with the latest Search and Rescue technology and instrumentation, equipping the service to continue saving lives into the next generation. Kilrush is one of only two stations in Ireland and the UK which will receive such an upgrade this year.
Following the construction of a new station in 1996, an Atlantic 21 B Class lifeboat was placed on temporary duty at the Kilrush station however it was replaced by a new Atlantic 75 lifeboat the following October. Fourteen years later, this vessel will now be replaced by the new Atlantic 85.
Kilrush Lifeboat Operations Manager John Lamb said, "This is a great vote of confidence in the crew here at Kilrush. It shows that we are doing what is being asked of us and that are being rewarded by being entrusted by this the latest in lifeboat technology and development"
The Atlantic class of lifeboats is named after Atlantic College, where the design was originally developed. Like previous RIBs, it has a manually operated self-righting mechanism, deploying an airbag mounted atop the A-frame arch. It is capable of being beached in an emergency without sustaining damage to engines or steering gear. The Atlantic 85 is fitted with radar and VHF direction finding equipment and can be operated safely in daylight in a force 6/7 and at night in a force 5/6 gale.
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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.
Related Safety posts
RNLI Lifeboats in Ireland
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Three Die in Cruiser Fire off West Cork
Three men are dead and a fourth has been injured after a boat went on fire and sank off the West Cork coast this evening. It happened in waters south of Roundcarrig Lighthouse off Adrigole Harbour, Bantry Bay. It is understood a serious fire broke out on the 25-foot cruiser. The RNLI lifeboat went to the cruiser's rescue at 5.45pm. There is no information currently about the type of cruiser involved.
Photo: courtesy of Castletownbere lifeboat
A Coast Guard helicopter spotted the men in the water. The boat was on fire and sinking as they arrived.
The bodies of the three victims have been removed to hospital. It is understood all four men, who were in their 60s, were living in the Glengarriff area.
One of the victims is Irish and the other two men are from other European countries. A fourth man, who survived the incident, has also been taken to hospital.
The boat sank a short while later off Roancarrig, about seven miles from the fishing port. Conditions were calm at the time with some light fog in the bay, the spokeswoman said. Officials from the Marine Casualty Investigation Board will carry out an inquiry into the incident.
It is understood investigations will centre on whether an explosion in the engine caused the fire.
Press Release from RNLI:
Lifeboat crew with Castletownbere RNLI responded to a callout out this evening (Monday 16 August 2010) to a 25-foot cruiser on fire seven miles off the coast of Castletownbere, off Adrigole Harbour in Bantry Bay. The Shannon based Coast Guard helicopter was on scene and recovered four casualties from the water. Three were pronounced dead and one was taken to Cork University hospital for treatment.The Castletownbere all weather lifeboat was requested to launch at 17.41 hrs in calm conditions. On arrival at the scene the lifeboat volunteers witnessed the vessel on fire and the CG helicopter was recovering the casualties from the water. The Shannon based helicopter had been out on a callout and was in the area. The lifeboat was designated on scene commander and stayed on scene until the burning cruiser sank.
Welsh Coastguards Carry Out Two Irish Sea Evacuations
A three year old boy and a commercial seaman have both been evacuated from two separate vessels due to medical problems yesterday afternoon.
Milford Haven Coastguard was contacted at just before 4.00 pm to report that a child had been taken ill onboard the roll-on-roll-off ferry Stena Europe. The vessel was 13 nautical miles west of Strumble Head. The boy was being attended to by a doctor and two nurses onboard the ferry who, after discussion with doctors at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, advised that the boy needed to be taken off the vessel. Rescue helicopter 122 from RAF Valley was scrambled and the boy was airlifted to Withybush Hospital.
The little boy and his family were on their way home to Ireland when the child was taken ill, says Graham Warlow, Milford Haven Coastguard Watch Manager. We wish him a speedy recovery.
At the same time that the Stena Europe was in contact with Milford Haven Coastguard, the merchant vessel Marida Melissa contacted Holyhead Coastguard to report that they had their own medical emergency onboard. One of their seafarers, an Indian national, had become ill, and after discussions with doctors it was decided that the best course of action would be to evacuate him to hospital. However, the rescue helicopter was already needed for the ill child on the ferry and so Moelfre RNLI lifeboat was requested to launch with paramedics onboard.
We dont normally use lifeboats for medical evacuations but in this case, the child had to take priority, says Barry Priddis, Holyhead Coastguard Watch Manager. When the lifeboat crew arrived at the vessel, which was anchored off Moelfre, they assessed the scene and reported back to us that they were confident that they could evacuate the ill man off of the ship safely. The man was carefully lifted on to the lifeboat then taken back into Moelfre, where he was lifted into an awaiting ambulance, then on to hospital.
