#Rescue - Rescue teams raced to Clew Bay yesterday evening (Thursday 6 August) after a man was struck by the propeller of his runaway boat.
A number of witnesses called emergency services after seeing the unmanned RIB speeding in tight circles, fearing that whoever had been on board was at risk in the water.
Achill Island RNLI were first on the scene to aid the RIB's pilot, a man in his 20s, who had drifted a quarter of a mile from the boat after suffering leg injuries from contact with its propeller.
After administering first aid, the lifeboat crew prepared the casualty for winching onto the Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 118, which airlifted him to Mayo General Hospital.
The lifeboat then joined Achill Island's D Class coastguard boat to bring the runaway RIB under control despite challenging conditions on the water at the time.
"This was a great example of the rescue services working together to effect a speedy and well co-ordinated rescue," said Achill Island RNLI coxswain Dave Curtis.
"As well as the happy outcome, there was the vigilance of the public in reporting in the emergency. No less than four calls were made to Malin Head to raise the alarm and ensure that we were able to respond quickly and decisively to the emergency.”
