An Irish Coast Guard helicopter successfully completed a long range rescue operation off the south west coast to bring a sick seaman from a Norwegian naval ship to hospital in Cork.

The Shannon based Irish Coast Guard Sikorski helicopter, Rescue 115 was tasked (on Tuesday) to remove the sick seaman from the Royal Norwegian navy frigate, HNoMS Thor Heyerdahl some 300km off the Cork coast.

The Norwegian ship had contacted the UK rescue authorities to request a medical evacuation and the UK authorities in turn relayed the request to the Irish Coast Guard as the ship was within the Irish sphere of operations.

The HNoMS Thor Heyerdahl was almost at the furthest limit of the Irish Coast Guard’s helicopter’s range so Rescue 115 refuelled in Castletownbere in West Cork before proceeding to rendezvous with the ship.

For further reading The Irish Times reports.