#rnli – Wicklow RNLI have become the first Irish lifeboat station to have a rescue featured in the charity's #SaveWave campaign. Some of this summer's most dramatic rescue stories featuring volunteer lifeboat crews have been shared with nearly one and a half million people through the charity's innovative social media campaign.
Launched during August, the campaign has already surpassed its original target of sharing RNLI rescue stories with one million people through Twitter and Facebook. The latest rescue story is from Wicklow and features a man suffering from suspected fume inhalation, being assisted and evacuated by volunteer lifeboat crew from Wicklow RNLI.
The #SaveWave campaign encourages the public to share RNLI rescue stories on Facebook and Twitter to create 'waves' of awareness for the lifesaving work that the charity delivers. To help make these waves, members of the public sign up using their social media accounts.
Wicklow RNLI Lifeboat Opeations Manager Des Davitt, said: 'The #SaveWave campaign is all about sharing rescue stories with the public. It is so important that people hear about the lifesaving work that the RNLI's volunteer lifeboat crews carry out every day, as the charity relies on public donations to keep on saving lives.
'We are delighted that the RNLI have chosen a callout from Wicklow to feature in this new campaign and that we are the first Irish one. During the incident the lifeboat crew used their casualty care training to make the man comfortable before transferring him onboard the lifeboat and back to shore to meet a waiting ambulance. The man has since been released from hospital."
Getting involved in #savewave is easy, visit savewave.rnli.org and sign up with a Facebook or Twitter account – or both. Then, two specially selected RNLI rescue stories will automatically be shared through the individuals Facebook or Twitter accounts each week.'
The campaign is not about donating money and signing up to #SaveWave is free. It is about raising awareness of RNLI rescues, especially amongst those who don't usually hear about the great work the volunteer lifeboat crews carryout.
The #SaveWave campaign runs until Sunday 29 September 2013.
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts and inland in both Ireland and the UK.
