#Coastguard - The Irish Coast Guard welcomed the successful rescue last night (Tuesday 26 July) of a lone yachtsman found on his overturned yacht 20 miles off the Co Wexford coast.

The yachtsman triggered his personal locator beacon (PLB) around 8pm last night, which alerted his position to the Marine Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Dublin.

Waterford's coastguard helicopter Rescue 117 was immediately tasked to the location.

The lone yachtsman was spotted sitting on the hull of his upturned vessel and was subsequently winched to safety and transferred to Waterford Regional Hospital.

A coastguard spokesperson highlighted the importance of observing two important safety rules when going to sea: stay afloat if you do fall in the water, and have a means to communicate or raise the alarm.

UK Coastguard launched an air and sea search after a Mayday call was heard late on Friday night near Llandudno in North Wales.

Holyhead Coastguard heard a spoken radio Mayday call at 10.45pm on Friday and coordinated a search of the sea and coast around Llandudno involving two Coastguard rescue helicopters and four lifeboats. Three Coastguard rescue teams searched the shoreline.

Rescue units which took part in the search were Coastguard rescue teams from Llandudno, Penmon and Rhyl, RNLI lifeboats from Llandudno, Beaumaris, Conwy and Rhyl. The Coastguard rescue helicopter from Caernarfon was joined in the search by the Coastguard rescue helicopter based at Prestwick.

Nothing has been found despite an intensive search of the area overnight. The search at sea has been suspended.

#Howth - The Irish Coast Guard cliff rescue team at Howth sprang into action yesterday afternoon (Saturday 16 July) after reports that a man in his 30s had fallen from the cliff path on Howth Head in North Co Dublin.

Working with paramedics from the Dublin Fire Brigade, the coastguard team evacuated the casualty to a waiting ambulance from the spot where he had fallen, some four metres from the cliff path near Drumleck Point.

The casualty had suffered a head injury but was conscious and breathing. He is currently being treated at Beaumont Hospital.

Howth RNLI and the Irish Coast Guard's Waterford-based helicopter Rescue 117 were also tasked to the incident but stood down.

The UK Coastguard is praising a local coasteering group after they administered first aid and a splint to a teenage boy who injured his knee at Porth Dafarch, near Anglesey Wales.

Yesterday (Thursday 14 July 2016) at around 12.15pm the UK Coastguard received a 999 call from the group leader of a local coasteering group reporting that a teenage boy had sustained an injury to his knee in Porth Dafarch area.

Holyhead Coastguard Rescue Team arrived at the location almost immediately and asked for further assistance from the Trearddur Bay RNLI. Access to the teenager was difficult so UK Coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at Caernarfon was sent to the area to winch the teenager to safety. He was then transferred to Bangor Hospital.

UK Coastguard Duty Controller, Peter Davies said: ‘When the Holyhead Coastguard Rescue Team arrived on scene they found the group leaders administering first aid and keeping the teenager as comfortable as possible. The group leaders did a great job looking after the teenager until we were able to get to him and we’d like to thank them for all their assistance.

‘They were able to give us accurate and detailed information which allowed our teams to arrive swiftly to the right location. This was an unavoidable accident and we hope the teenager makes a swift recovery. We want people to enjoy the coast and always advise people join a coasteering group with a professional and reputable adventure centre, so that all the appropriate risk assessments and safety measures are in place if anything happens. This group did exactly the right thing calling the Coastguard as soon as the incident happened.’

Grant Mitchell, a former volunteer for Holyhead Coastguard Rescue Team and the group leader from Anglesey Adventures who was leading the coasteering group at the time said: ‘It’s important for children to participate in outdoor activities, to discover new places, under the right supervision and wearing the appropriate shoes and clothing. We train for these types situations and carry the right equipment, so we were fully prepared when this unfortunate incident happened. We’d just like to say a big thank you to the Holyhead Coastguard Rescue Team, the RNLI and the UK Coastguard helicopter who responded quickly to our call and helped airlift the boy to safety. He’s made a full recovery and his dislocated knee has been put back into place at the Bangor Hospital. He was released from hospital and has re-joined the group today.’

UK Coastguard search and rescue helicopter winchman Chris Bradshaw said: ‘It was a great team effort from all the locally based rescue organisations and we’re really pleased to hear the boy has made a full recovery.’

#RNLI - Ballycotton RNLI was launched around 2.30pm yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 12 July) to aid a man who had got into difficulty while swimming in East Cork's Ballyandreen Bay and called for help.

A member of the public heard the man's call and immediately alerted Valentia Coast Guard, who tasked Ballycotton's volunteer crew to launch both their all-weather and inshore lifeboats.

The inshore lifeboat was first to arrive on scene and the crew on board recovered the casualty from the water before transferring him to the all-weather lifeboat, where he was medically assessed, administered first aid and given oxygen.

The Irish Coast Guard's Waterford-based helicopter Rescue 117 was also tasked and arrived on scene around 3pm to airlift the casualty to Cork University Hospital, where he is said to be in a stable condition.

Speaking following the callout, Ballycotton RNLI coxswain Eolan Walsh said: "We would like to commend the member of the public who raised the alarm today as well as the immediate first aid action of the volunteer crew.

"Their quick-thinking and actions ensured that there was a positive outcome today for this casualty. We would also like to wish him a speedy recovery."

#Coastguard - Coastguard teams from Achill and Ballyglass were involved in the recovery of the body of a young man from a popular tourism spot on the Mayo coast, as Independent.ie reports.

Achill Coast Guard's cliff rescue unit were called into action to recover the suspected faller from the 65ft blowhole at Dun na mBó after reports of a missing person in the area.

A spokesperson for Achill Coast Guard described the almost five-hour operation as "extremely dangerous, challenging and technically difficult" as the casualty was located in a cave within the blowhole, with sea water rushing in from the base.

#Coastguard - Shannon's Irish Coast Guard helicopter was launched yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 14 June) to evacuate an injured crewmember from an Irish fishing vessel off the Kerry coast.

Top cover was provided by a second coastguard helicopter as Rescue 115 flew to the boat 120 miles west of the Blasket Islands to recover the injured party for treatment.

In another incident, coastguard volunteers recovered the body of a man from the base of the Cliffs of Moher last night, as BreakingNews.ie reports.

Units from Doolin and Kilkee responded when the alarm was raised around 5pm yesterday, eventually lifting the body to the cliff top four hours later. Gardaí are investigating.

The search is ongoing for a microlight aircraft with two people on board, after it was reported missing last night. UK Coastguard is continuing to co-ordinate the search, which had to be suspended because of fog at 3am today (10th June).

Coastguard Rescue Teams from Ballycastle, Coleraine, Port Muck and Larne are expected to carry out a shore search, while RNLI lifeboats from Larne, Red Bay and Portrush are also going to be involved.

A fixed wing aircraft and the Irish Coastguard search and rescue helicopter are also expected to be part of the search which is being carried out over inland and coastal areas, along with other emergency services and agencies.

James Instance, duty controller with UK Coastguard said, ‘The weather has caused problems for the search operation. However we have drawn up an extensive search and rescue plan which will be put into action today.’

#Coastguard - Two people on board a 30ft cruiser were rescued by the Irish Coast Guard's Killaloe unit yesterday evening (Monday 23 May), as the Irish Examiner reports.

The coastguard team towed the boat into deeper water after it ran aground on Lough Derg before 6pm - and an ROV was used to confirm there was no damage to the underside of the vessel.

The Doolin Coastguard unit have recovered the body of a male in an area known as Doonacore Bay, south of Doolin Point in Co Clare. The body was initially spotted shortly after 8am this morning by members of the Doolin Coast Guard team, who were conducting a shore line search. The body was subsequently recovered by a RIB operated by the team. The remains will be transferred to Ennis General Hospital for post mortem and formal identification.

Coastguard teams went into action a week ago when staff at the Cliffs of Moher's visitor centre noticed a car parked overnight. It's reported that the missing man is in his 60s, from Dublin and a regular pundit on TV and radio.