Lifeboat

9th September 2010

Portrush Youngster Raises More Lifeboat Funds

Christy Bradley is Portrush Lifeboats youngest fundraiser and has carried out yet another fundraising event to pay for crew training!

Christy has a special reason to be interested in raising funds for crew training as his dad Gerard is a crew member and Christy's ambition is to be a crew member just like his Dad!
On Monday night Christy aged 9 came to a crew meeting and handed over £150 that he had raised by a 'name the bear' competition.
The bear had been given to Christy (9) by his Grandad Sid Carruthers and Christy decided that this would be the perfect way to raise funds for crew training.

Sandra Malcolmson was the lucky winner, and named the bear 'Bert'. She joined Christy and his dad Gerard crew member Aidy Tohill and Lifeboat Operations manager Robin Cardwell on Monday night to claim 'Bert'

Proud dad Gerard said,
'Christy has always been mad about lifeboats and is already planning his next fundraiser'

Robin Cardwell Lifeboat Operations Manager said

'It's great to see youngsters like Christy giving up their spare time and get involved in the Lifeboat fundraising initiatives. We are delighted that he supports crew training and look forward to his next venture'

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

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6th September 2010

Galway Lifeboat Launches Twice with Boats in Difficulty

Galway RNLI lifeboat was called out to two separate incidents on Galway Bay yesterday when two boats got into difficulty, one near Barna with three people on board and the other near Galway Docks.

The first incident involved a 30ft sailing boat, which was spotted drifting towards the shore between Rinmore Beach and Galway Docks, known as the Forty Acres. The boat was unoccupied and is understood to have broken its moorings near Mutton Island. The alarm was raised by a passing sailing boat and the Irish Coastguard tasked Galway lifeboat to the scene at approximately 10.40am.

The boat had run up on rocks close to the shore however the lifeboat crew of Helmsman John Byrne, David Oliver and Sean King managed to rig up a tow and bring the boat safely to Galway Docks.

The second callout happened near Barna at approximately 1.35pm. Three people in a 22ft open-deck fishing boat got into difficulty when the engine failed and the boat started drifting onto rocks half a mile west of Barna.

Two of the three people on board were wearing lifejackets and decided to swim for it as the boat veered towards rocks about 500 metres from the shore.

The Irish Coastguard tasked several rescue units to the scene including the Shannon Rescue Helicopter, the Aran Islands lifeboat, Galway lifeboat, and the Irish Coastguard Rescue Unit from Rosaveel. Two Galway Bay Sailing Club rescue boats already out at the club's regatta came across to assist in the rescue when they heard the distress call.

The three people made it safely ashore where Gardai from Salthill were waiting. They did not require medical attention. Attempts were made to take the boat in tow but it wasn't feasible and Galway lifeboat was stood down. The crew on the second callout were Helmsman David Oliver, John Byrne and Olivia Byrne.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

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3rd September 2010

Red Bay Crew in Line for '999 Hero Award'

Great to read this morning that the Red Bay RNLI lifeboat crew are in line for an award in the Belast Telegraph's 'Making The Difference Awards'. It is a new scheme to recognise those heroes across Northern Ireland whose stories never get told. The Red Bay lifeboat dramatically rescued a brother and sister from rocks on the north Antrim coast at the start of August. We reported it HERE.

The pair were stranded while walking in the beautiful but dangerous boulder field at Fair Head rock. After raising the alarm the crew quickly launched the Atlantic 85 lifeboat Geoffrey Charles and battled through rough waters to reach them.

In order to get to the frightened pair, a 'lifeline' had to be created with a rope. Lifeboat crew member John Walsh had to bravely put on a drysuit and lifejacket, enter the water and swim out to them.

Helmsman Paddy McLaughlin, who has been a member of the RNLI since he was 17, said it was a difficult operation.

"It was a tricky rescue, it took about three hours all in," he said.

"It was just hard to reach them because of the location of the rocks. But we got them safely ashore."

Mr McLaughlin said they are "just doing what they are trained to do".

"We aren't in it for the glory. As soon as we get the call the training just kicks in," he said.

"I suppose you don't think about it."

31st August 2010

Search for Missing Kayaker Ends After Women's Body Recovered

The search for a missing female kayaker on the Irish sea has been called off after the body of a woman was found in the sea off the Lleyn peninsular this evening.

The search from Lleyn to Morfa Nefyn, Fort Belan and Llanddwyn involved RNLI all weather lifeboats from Holyhead and Porth Dinllaen, two helicopters from the RAF at Valley together with a North Wales Police helicopter and Coastguard Rescue Teams from Aberdaron, Porth Dinllaen and Llandwrog. It resumed after a red Avocet kayak, like the one used by missing female kayaker, was found on the beach at Morfa Nefyn on the Lleyn peninsular this morning.

Published in Kayaking

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31st August 2010

Search Resumes After Missing Kayak Located

Early this morning a red Avocet kayak answering the description of the one used by missing female kayaker, Elizabeth Ashbee, a member of Shrewsbury Kayak Club, was found on the beach at Morfa Nefyn on the Lleyn peninsular. There is no apparent damage to the craft. It has now been confirmed that the craft was the one being used by Ms Ashbee.
The North Wales Police were informed who have now inspected the vessel and the maritime search and rescue operation has now resumed. The family of the missing woman has been informed.

Holyhead RNLI all weather lifeboat was asked to resume its search, and two helicopters from the RAF at Valley together with a North Wales Police helicopter are conducting a shoreline search in Caernarfon Bay, particularly from Lleyn to Morfa Nefyn, Fort Belan and Llanddwyn.
Coastguard Rescue Teams from Aberdaron, Porth Dinllaen and Llandwrog are also engaged in searching the coastline in the Bay.
Holyhead Coastguard have been broadcasting pan signals into area alerting shipping to the resumed search.
The weather on scene is a slight sea, with good visibility and south westerly winds of between 10 – 12 knots.
Ms Ashbee, wearing a dry suit and a buoyancy aid went missing Sunday afternoon in her kayak in poor weather and was last seen heading through rocks at Ynys Feurig, or Starvation Island, close to Rhosneigr. An area of up to 60 square miles has now been covered in the search.
Members of the Shrewsbury Kayak Club have also arrived on scene and are assisting Coastguard units in the search.

Published in Kayaking

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29th August 2010

Lifeboat Rescues Flying Fifteen Crew

A rescue operation to recover a Flying fifteen keelboat and its two crew is underway on Dublin bay this evening. The 20-foot sailing boat capsized in strong north westerly winds in Scotsman's Bay. Both Dun Laoghaire's inshore and offshore lifeboats and a local RIB is at the scene.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

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22nd August 2010

New Lifeboat for Shannon Estuary

Volunteers at Kilrush Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station on the Shannon Estuary have received a new state-of-the-art lifeboat which enters service this month.

The Atlantic 85 RIB (Rigid Inflatable boat) is not only bigger and more powerful than Kilrush's existing craft but it also fitted with the latest Search and Rescue technology and instrumentation, equipping the service to continue saving lives into the next generation. Kilrush is one of only two stations in Ireland and the UK which will receive such an upgrade this year.

Following the construction of a new station in 1996, an Atlantic 21 B Class lifeboat was placed on temporary duty at the Kilrush station however it was replaced by a new Atlantic 75 lifeboat the following October. Fourteen years later, this vessel will now be replaced by the new Atlantic 85.

Kilrush Lifeboat Operations Manager John Lamb said, "This is a great vote of confidence in the crew here at Kilrush. It shows that we are doing what is being asked of us and that are being rewarded by being entrusted by this the latest in lifeboat technology and development"

The Atlantic class of lifeboats is named after Atlantic College, where the design was originally developed. Like previous RIBs, it has a manually operated self-righting mechanism, deploying an airbag mounted atop the A-frame arch. It is capable of being beached in an emergency without sustaining damage to engines or steering gear. The Atlantic 85 is fitted with radar and VHF direction finding equipment and can be operated safely in daylight in a force 6/7 and at night in a force 5/6 gale.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

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16th August 2010

Three Die in Cruiser Fire off West Cork

Three men are dead and a fourth has been injured after a boat went on fire and sank off the West Cork coast this evening. It happened in waters south of Roundcarrig Lighthouse off Adrigole Harbour, Bantry Bay. It is understood a serious fire broke out on the 25-foot cruiser. The RNLI lifeboat went to the cruiser's rescue at 5.45pm. There is no information currently about the type of cruiser involved.

cruiseronfire

Photo: courtesy of Castletownbere lifeboat

A Coast Guard helicopter spotted the men in the water. The boat was on fire and sinking as they arrived.

The bodies of the three victims have been removed to hospital. It is understood all four men, who were in their 60s, were living in the Glengarriff area.

One of the victims is Irish and the other two men are from other European countries. A fourth man, who survived the incident, has also been taken to hospital.

The boat sank a short while later off Roancarrig, about seven miles from the fishing port. Conditions were calm at the time with some light fog in the bay, the spokeswoman said. Officials from the Marine Casualty Investigation Board will carry out an inquiry into the incident.
It is understood investigations will centre on whether an explosion in the engine caused the fire.

Press Release from RNLI:

Lifeboat crew with Castletownbere RNLI responded to a callout out this evening (Monday 16 August 2010) to a 25-foot cruiser on fire seven miles off the coast of Castletownbere, off Adrigole Harbour in Bantry Bay. The Shannon based Coast Guard helicopter was on scene and recovered four casualties from the water. Three were pronounced dead and one was taken to Cork University hospital for treatment.

The Castletownbere all weather lifeboat was requested to launch at 17.41 hrs in calm conditions. On arrival at the scene the lifeboat volunteers witnessed the vessel on fire and the CG helicopter was recovering the casualties from the water. The Shannon based helicopter had been out on a callout and was in the area. The lifeboat was designated on scene commander and stayed on scene until the burning cruiser sank.

Published in Rescue

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15th August 2010

Welsh Coastguards Carry Out Two Irish Sea Evacuations

A three year old boy and a commercial seaman have both been evacuated from two separate vessels due to medical problems yesterday afternoon.

Milford Haven Coastguard was contacted at just before 4.00 pm to report that a child had been taken ill onboard the roll-on-roll-off ferry Stena Europe. The vessel was 13 nautical miles west of Strumble Head. The boy was being attended to by a doctor and two nurses onboard the ferry who, after discussion with doctors at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, advised that the boy needed to be taken off the vessel. Rescue helicopter 122 from RAF Valley was scrambled and the boy was airlifted to Withybush Hospital.

The little boy and his family were on their way home to Ireland when the child was taken ill, says Graham Warlow, Milford Haven Coastguard Watch Manager. We wish him a speedy recovery.

At the same time that the Stena Europe was in contact with Milford Haven Coastguard, the merchant vessel Marida Melissa contacted Holyhead Coastguard to report that they had their own medical emergency onboard. One of their seafarers, an Indian national, had become ill, and after discussions with doctors it was decided that the best course of action would be to evacuate him to hospital. However, the rescue helicopter was already needed for the ill child on the ferry and so Moelfre RNLI lifeboat was requested to launch with paramedics onboard.

We dont normally use lifeboats for medical evacuations but in this case, the child had to take priority, says Barry Priddis, Holyhead Coastguard Watch Manager. When the lifeboat crew arrived at the vessel, which was anchored off Moelfre, they assessed the scene and reported back to us that they were confident that they could evacuate the ill man off of the ship safely. The man was carefully lifted on to the lifeboat then taken back into Moelfre, where he was lifted into an awaiting ambulance, then on to hospital.

Published in Coastguard

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13th August 2010

Lough Derg Lifeboat Assists 3 People on 'Engine Failure' Vessel

At 20.55hrs last night, Derg RNLI lifeboat was requested to launch to assist three persons on board a 43ft motor cruiser which had suffered engine failure. The lifeboat with helm Eleanor Hooker, Deirdre Kenny and Ruth Spillane on board, launched at 21.00hrs. Winds were north-westerly, Force 4, gusting 5. Visibility was initially fair with fading light. The lifeboat was alongside the casualty vessel at 21.18hrs and found all passengers to be safe and unharmed. They were requested to put on their lifejackets. The vessel had dropped anchor to prevent being pushed onto the rocky shore. Once a tow was set up, the vessel weighed anchor and was taken to the safety of the public harbour in Dromineer, where the lifeboat Deputy Launching Authority Fergal Kerney and RNLI crew members Ciaran Murphy, Ger Ahern and Dom Sharkey were waiting to take lines to assist moor the boat.

The lifeboat returned to station and was ready for service again at 23.00hrs