#RNLI - Bangor RNLI received a request from Belfast Coastguard yesterday evening (1 March) to launch their lifeboat and assist four people onboard a 23ft rigid inflatable boat, or RIB, that experienced engine failure north of Ballyholme Bay on the southern shores of Belfast Lough.

Within minutes of their rescue pagers being activated, the crew had assembled and had launched their inshore lifeboat, which proceeded at full speed towards the stricken vessel.

Upon arrival, the crew found that the four on board the RIB, who were experienced mariners, had followed procedure and made the correct decision to call for assistance at the first sign of trouble.

Calm on scene, weather conditions allowed for a tow line to be quickly rigged, and the vessel was then taken under tow to the safety of Bangor Marina.

Following the rescue, RNLI volunteer helmsman Iain Dobie took the opportunity to underline an important safety message.

"We always urge everyone going afloat to make sure their engine and fuel systems and are well maintained and in good working order," he said. "Engine failure close to shore and commercial shipping routes could lead to a life threatening situation."

Dobie added: "We're happy that everyone is now safely ashore."

#RNLI - One hundred years ago, nine volunteer lifeboat crew from Fethard RNLI lost their lives as lifeboat crews rescued 10 people after Norwegian vessel, the Mexico, struck rocks off the Wexford coast.

Hundreds of people gathered to attend events in Wexford this weekend to mark the centenary of the Fethard lifeboat tragedy.

At Fethard Quay, four RNLI lifeboats from Fethard, Rosslare, Dunmore East and Kilmore Quay gathered, and their lifeboat crews lay wreaths in the sea from the lifeboat stations, relatives of the lifeboat men who were lost and of those who survived, along with wreaths from relatives of the crew of the Mexico who had travelled from Norway for the anniversary.

#RNLI - Portrush RNLI volunteer Karl O’Neill is becoming one of the RNLI's all-rounders, for as well as being helm for the Portrush inshore lifeboat and senior RNLI lifeguard, he is now a part of the lifesaving charity's Flood Rescue Team (FRT).

The FRT is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to deploy to flooding events in the UK, Ireland and abroad for search and rescue (SAR) operations.

The team comprises RNLI members from across the network who have been specially trained for the risks involved when working in or around fast moving flood water. The team are all either serving volunteer lifeboat crew or operational RNLI staff who volunteer to be part of the team.

As part of his training, O'Neill had to go to Loch Etive, near Oban in Scotland, for a period of four days' intensive training. The training exercises are designed to ensure that the team are fully prepared for dangerous and unpredictable flood waters, which differ greatly from the sea environment.

These exercises allow the volunteers to practise their skills in fast-flowing water, simulating the conditions they could face in a real life situation.

"It was a great experience to be trained for this type of emergency and has equipped me to respond in an emergency when the call comes," said O'Neill on his return to station.

"The training I had already received from the RNLI had given me a good foundation already, but the flood water training was very different to being in the open sea."

Lifeboat operations manager Robin Cardwell added that "the team at Portrush are very proud of Karl in terms of this training. He will be a great asset to any of the FR Teams when called to respond."

Karl O'Neill's family has a long association with Portrush Lifeboat Station, as his grandfather was a mechanic and cox, his uncle Anthony Chambers is the present mechanic and RNLI Bronze Medal awardee, and his cousin Jason Chambers is also on crew.

In other Portrush news, O'Neill and his inshore lifeboat crew got their first service of 2014 last Sunday (16 February) just after their usual training session, when they were called to the assistance of two surfers who got into difficulties off Portstewart Strand.

The weather was unusually mild for a Sunday in February and perfect conditions for surfing. However, the surfers were caught in strong currents and were swept out to sea.

The Inshore lifeboat quickly located the first surfer and got him on board. They then found the other surfer and, after getting him on board, transported both surfers back to the beach.

"It was a beautiful day for surfing on the North Coast but it goes to show that everyone needs to be mindful about sea safety," said Cardwell.

#RNLI - Wicklow RNLI's all-weather lifeboat launched shortly before 4pm yesterday afternoon (Wednesday 19 February) to assist a fishing vessel in difficulties off Wicklow Head.

The skipper of the fishing vessel contacted the Irish Coast Guard for assistance after his vessel developed engine failure in a position east of Wicklow Head.

The lifeboat, under the command of coxswain Dave O'Leary, located the fishing vessel twenty-five minutes after launching.

Weather conditions in the area were described as wind direction south easterly, force six to seven with a three metre swell.

A towline was quickly established, but progress with the tow was slow returning back to Wicklow due to wind and tidal conditions.

The fishing vessel with three crew was finally secured safely alongside the Packet pier at Wicklow Harbour at 7.45pm.

Lifeboat crew on the callout were coxswain Dave O'Leary, mechanic Brenda Copeland, Carol Flahive, Brian Sinnott, Tommy Murphy and John Vize.

#brainhacker – Celebrity 'Brainhacker' Keith Barry shows his support for the RNLI at the recent angling exhibition (L-R) George Duffy (Howth RNLI), John McKenna (Lifeboat Sea Safety Officer, Howth RNLI), Keith Barry and Alan Gielty (Achill Island RNLI) pictured at the RNLI stand at the Ireland Angling 2014 exhibition in Dublin (15 Feb 2014). Over 300 people visited the stand to get advice about staying safe at sea and how to properly maintain their lifejackets.

Out of the 18 lifejackets brought to the Lifejacket Clinic, 14 had out-of-date triggers or salt tablets and one had been fired.

#RNLI - Wicklow RNLI was delighted to welcome members of the Wicklow Kilmantin Arts Group, who presented a cheque for €500 to the station last Friday (31 January).

The money was raised during a recent art auction in Wicklow, and the local artists' group wanted some of the proceeds to go to a local charity.

Mary De Courcy, chairperson of the fundraising branch, accepted the generous donation on behalf of the station.

Speaking after the presentation, Wicklow RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer Tommy Dover said the station was delighted to receive the gift "especially on SOS Day, one of the RNLI’s main fundraising days."

SOS Day is the annual RNLI crew fundraising day and stations all over the country host innovative and novel ways of fundraising incorporating the SOS initials.

In Northern Irelabd, supporters of Portrush Lifeboat Station jumped into the sea at Portrush Harbour and swam round the station's all-weather lifeboat, the William Gordon Burr.

The weather was bitterly cold but didn’t deter the crowd that turned up to do their bit.

1. RNLI coxswain Des Austin explained: "This is a fun event that involves our crew, fundraisers, and a great local crowd who turn out irrespective of the weather to support the volunteer lifeboat crew.

"The crew themselves take part and their colleagues and on standby to give them a friendly push and also to haul them in at the end of the swim."

The man with the megaphone for the event was Robin Cardwell, Portrush RNLI lifeboat operations manager. All swimmers were counted out and counted back in again.

The crew thanked Coleraine Borough Council for their use of Waterworld for everyone to get a hot shower after their swim, as well as the RNLI lifeguards and the local coastguard team, who provided safety cover for the event.

After the event everyone was treated to homemade soup and sandwiches in Portrush Yacht Club, and a special SOS cake made by crew member Claudia McAlpin.

#RNLI - The Irish Independent says that the RNLI wants a meeting with the Irish Coast Guard over an incident off Dublin last weekend that it was not called to attend.

According to reports, the coastguard sent its closest rescue helicopter from Dublin Airport to attend an emergency on the fishing trawler Fragrant Cloud in Killiney Bay, despite the availability of an RNLI lifeboat crew in nearby Dun Laoghaire.

More on this story as it develops.

#RNLI - Kilmore Quay RNLI came to the rescue of two fishermen after their boat sank off the Saltee Islands in Co Wexford yesterday afternoon (Thursday 30 January).

The volunteer crew was requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat shortly after 4pm following a Mayday report that a small fishing vessel with two people on board was sinking southwest of the Saltee Islands.

Weather conditions at the time were described as overcast with a force three wind blowing.

The two casualties managed to evacuate the sinking boat onto a liferaft before being rescued by another vessel that was in the area at the time. The men were then transferred to the lifeboat and brought safely back to Kilmore Quay harbour.

#RNLI - RNLI lifeboats in the Republic of Ireland launched 1,087 times in 2013 bringing 1,278 people to safety.

The figures released by the charity today (Tuesday 28 January) are based on returns of service from all 44 lifeboat stations in Ireland.

And those numbers doesn't count the 245 people brought to safety in 255 launches from Northern Ireland's nine lifeboat stations - plus many more rescued by the North's RNLI lifeguards.

The statistics show that the majority of last year’s call-outs in the Republic were to pleasure craft, which accounted for 583 services, while there were 138 launches to fishing vessels.

Northern Ireland, meanwhile, counted 109 call-outs that took place in the dark, while the North's crews spent 1,459 service hours at sea collectively.

Dun Laoghaire RNLI’s all-weather and inshore lifeboats had the most launches in 2013, with its crew rescuing 67 people during 58 call-outs.

Enniskillen RNLI, which operates from two inland stations in Fermanagh, brought the most people to safety, with 82 individuals rescued from 56 call-outs. More than half of those services were carried out in the dark.

Portrush RNLI in Co Antrim had 47 call-outs, bringing 33 people to safety, while the volunteer crew in Howth launched their two lifeboats 46 times last year rescuing 78 people.

It was also a busy year for Kilmore Quay in Co Wexford, which operates a Tamar class lifeboat – the most technologically advanced in the Irish fleet. The lifeboat crew there rescued 76 people during 43 call-outs.

Further south in Co Cork, inshore lifeboat stations at Crosshaven and Kinsale launched 42 and 41 times respectively, bringing 36 people to safety in Crosshaven and 54 in Kinsale.

The charity’s lifeboat crews also had 142 call outs to people classed as ashore. These services included assisting people who were ill or injured on an island, cliff or the shoreline, where access by lifeboat was the fastest or safest way to reach the casualty.

On 10 occasions, lifeboat crews were also called upon to rescue animals in 2013. These included four dogs, two sheep, a cow, two whales and a dolphin.

In a year when Ireland saw one of its hottest summers, the overall statistics show an increase of 132 lifeboat launches in 2013, up from 955 in 2012 to 1,087. There was also an upsurge in the number of rescues with 221 more people brought to safety over the 12 month period.

In the North there was a busy season for the 10 RNLI lifeguard units, located on beaches in Co Down and along the Causeway Coast.

In all, RNLI lifeguards responded to 302 incidents compared to 159 in 2012 and came to the aid of 330 people who found themselves in difficulty, which is an increase of 153 from the year before.

The Causeway Coast, where there are seven units, was the busiest area, with lifeguards responding to 222 incidents and assisting 247 people. Among these incidents was the dramatic rescue of a family of six in Castlerock after they got caught in a flash rip - a strong current running out to sea.

Throughout the year, there were some dramatic and challenging call outs for the lifeboat crews.

In July, 30 people were rescued by Kinsale and Courtmacsherry lifeboat crews when the tall ship Astrid was blown onto rocks and started to take on water off the south coast.

Dun Laoghaire RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat and Howth RNLI’s inshore lifeboat rescued six people on Dublin Bay in August after their boat capsized and they were left clinging to the upturned hull.

And in September, Portaferry RNLI rescued a fisherman from Portavogie, who was in the water for 45 minutes after his vessel sank off the coast of Co Down.

Reflecting on the year, RNLI operations manager for Ireland Martyn Smith said: "2013 proved to be another busy year for the RNLI with an increase in both our lifeboat launches and rescues.

"Our lifeboat crews are highly trained and equipped to deal with the challenges they face and we are indebted to their dedication to respond when the need arises.

He added: "Sadly not every call out results in a rescue and 2013 also brought its share of tragedy. A number of our call-outs involved searches for missing people and in some incidents, they involved bringing home loved ones who were lost at sea.

"These call-outs, while challenging for all involved, demonstrate the commitment and seamanship of our crews who devote many hours to a search and recovery effort."

Looking ahead, Smith reminded the public that irrespective of weather conditions, the water always presents a risk.

He recommended that people take care by following some simple safety tips: "We would remind water users to always wear a lifejacket, get the appropriate training, carry a means of calling for help, check engine and fuel, tell others where you are going and check weather and tides."

Smith also took time to thank everyone who contributed to helping the RNLI save lives at sea in 2013.

"I would like to say a huge thank-you to our volunteers and all those who support the RNLI, a charity dependent on the generosity of the public, whether by giving up their time or by making a donation.

"I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of our colleagues in the Irish Coast Guard and emergency services who we worked closely with in 2013."

#RNLI - Baltimore RNLI assisted three crew members on board a 20m fishing trawler which got into difficulty off West Cork on Monday night (20 January).

The volunteer lifeboat crew was requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat by the Irish Coast Guard at 11.10pm following a report that a 20m trawler had lost steering three quarters of a mile south west of Cape Clear.



The lifeboat, under coxswain Aidan Bushe, launched at 11.18pm and made its way to the scene. Weather conditions at the time were described as blowing force four to five south westerly winds and there was a three metre swell.



Having established a tow line, the lifeboat brought the vessel safely back to Baltimore.



Speaking following the call out, Baltimore RNLI lifeboat operations manager Tom Bushe said: "The vessel encountered difficulties late last night when it was dark and the weather conditions were fairly challenging.

"We were delighted to be able to assist and help the crew bring their vessel to safety."