Lifeboat

21st September 2010

Fenit RNLI to name new D Class Lifeboat after Bangor Couple

A special naming and dedication ceremony will be held this Saturday (25 September 2010) at 3.00pm when volunteer lifeboat crew and supporters with Fenit RNLI lifeboat station in Kerry will gather to name their new IB1 lifeboat Bradley and Sonya. The lifeboat is being named in memory of Bradley and Sonya Burns, who were volunteers with Bangor RNLI lifeboat crew and who tragically died within 10 months of each other in 2006.

The lifeboat has been funded through an appeal set up by Bangor RNLI, who felt that the most appropriate way to honour the couple was to purchase a lifeboat and name it after them. This lifeboat has now been put on service in Fenit, County Kerry. It will be named by Mrs Mary Connolly and Mrs Eileen Savage, the mothers of Sonya and Bradley and twenty- five members of Bangor lifeboat crew will travel down from Northern Ireland to attend the ceremony.

The cost of the new D class lifeboat is €39,000. This type of lifeboat is built for launching quickly and operating close to shore. It is five metres in length and can reach a maximum speed of 25 knots. It can take two or three lifeboat crew and has room for five survivors. It will join Fenit's all weather Trent class lifeboat.

Sonya's sister Judy Connolly and Bangor RNLI helm Kyle Marshall will deliver the lifeboat into the care of Fenit lifeboat station.

All are welcome to attend.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

Tagged under

19th September 2010

Portrush Lifeboat Station Celebrates 150 years

A service of thanksgiving marked the start of a year of events to celebrate Portrush Lifeboat Station's 150 years of saving lives at sea. The volunteer lifeboat crewmembers, fundraisers and supporters held a service in Portrush with the Inshore Boat 'The Ken and Mary' making her last appearance as a Portrush Lifeboat.

The event was held exactly 150 years after Laura, the Countess of Antrim helped establish the Lifeboat Station on the North Coast.

The service started with James Heaney, Chairman of Portrush Lifeboat Station giving a brief history of the station. Michael Hassan and Shay Reynolds sang a song that Michael had composed for the station called 'You're never on your own' and Ballywillan Band played the crews favourite hymns. By coincidence the band unveiled their new crest which includes a rope ring, a nod to their close relationship with the lifeboat station.
.
Father Sheehan, Reverend Simpson, Pastor Todd and Rev Kirkpatrick all did readings and prayers reflecting the dedication of the volunteer crews to saving lives at sea. Karl O'Neill one of the youngest crew members read the 'Lifeboat Prayer'

After the service John D Coyle MEconSc Chairman RNLI Ireland Council handed over a vellum to Robin Cardwell, Lifeboat Operations Manager. Mr Coyle praised the work of the crews and teams attached to the station and congratulated everyone on reaching this milestone. He reflected on the advances in technology which has made the lifeboats ever more sophisticated, but how the RNLI still depend on volunteers to crew them.

Robin accepted the vellum and thanked everyone for attending especially crew families who wait at home when the crews are out at sea. He thanked the crews for their dedication and commitment to training both on station and at Poole. He said that the vellum would be hung with pride at the station. Coxswain Willie McAuley presented Mr Coyle with a signed book on the history of the station and Shelley Pinkerton, Chairman of the Fundraising Team, proposed the vote of thanks to Mr Coyle, and reminded everyone why fundraising was so important to the RNLI.

After the formal proceedings ended Limavady Big Band sound played a medley of swing sounds which entertained everyone while friends past and present reminisced.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

Tagged under

15th September 2010

Bangor Lifeboat Crew to Receive Freedom of the Borough

Bangor RNLI volunteers are to be awarded North Down Borough Councils highest honour for their heroic service. Bangor RNLI will be given the Freedom of the Borough on Saturday 18 September 2010 in tribute to its 45 years of sterling service off the shores of North Down.

The Atlantic 85 type lifeboat. the Jessie Hillyard. based in Bangor Harbour has two Yamaha 4-stroke engines giving a top speed of 35 knots. It features state of the art radar, chart plotter VHF radio and radio direction finding technology to enhance its lifesaving capabilities. Volunteer crew at Bangor take pride in a launch time of under four minutes from when their rescue pagers are activated.

Everyone connected with RNLI Bangor Lifeboat - the crew, station management, fundraisers and helpers - are all volunteers, giving freely of their time, braving all weathers, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to help save life at sea.

Bangor's Lifeboat Operations Manager Kevin Byers also a volunteer is looking forward to receiving North Down Borough Councils highest award honouring the work of RNLI Bangor Lifeboat. He said

'We wish to publicly thank North Down Borough Council for their continued support and for honouring RNLI Bangor Lifeboat with this prestigious award' he added.

'It is a truly fitting tribute to the huge commitment and dedication of the Bangor volunteer crew and station personnel both past and present who have devoted so much of their time and effort to lifesaving at sea'

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

Tagged under

12th September 2010

Sailor Rescued from Burning Boat off Cork Coast

A lone sailor had just enough time to send out a Mayday Call last night before abandoning his blazing 28-ft pleasure craft nine miles east of Ballycotton Lighthouse on the Cork coast.

Youghal and Ballycotton lifeboat stations responded to the call and Ballycotton lifeboat station spoke of how they could see the black smoke in the distance as they rushed to the lifeboat station. An angling boat in the vicinity recovered the lone sailor from the sea. He was transferred to another angling boat and was immediately taken to Youghal where his condition was assessed by medical personnel.

Youghal and Ballycotton lifeboats were requested by the Coastguard to remain on scene while the pleasure craft blazed. Approximately an hour later the boat sank and the lifeboats returned to station.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

Tagged under

10th September 2010

New Lifeboat for Portrush

The volunteer RNLI lifeboat crew at Portrush have taken delivery of a brand new state of the art Inshore lifeboat and have wasted no time in putting the new lifeboat through its paces.

The new £30,000 lifeboat is named David Roulston (Civil Service No. 52) and replaces the previous lifeboat Ken and Mary D -572 which arrived on station in February 2002. The Ken and Mary was launched 151 times, saving 9 lives, landing 15 persons and bringing in a further 31 people, giving a total rescued of 55.
This new inshore lifeboat was funded by the Civil Service Lifeboat Fund which raised the funds for the lifeboat via staff fundraising within the civil service across the UK and Northern Ireland. Following the tragic drowning of their colleague David Roulston, the staff at Northern Ireland Tourist Board fundraised to cover the upkeep and maintenance of the new lifeboat which has been named in memory of David.
The new boat has a bigger engine 50hp as opposed to 40hp, better stowage and a GPS plotter. The boat is also much faster and thus will be quicker in terms of saving lives at sea around the North Coast.
Speaking about the arrival of the new boat Lifeboat, Operations Manager Robin Cardwell said,

"The crew are very impressed with the performance of their new lifeboat. They have already had intensive training sessions on the boat and are delighted to have it on station in Portrush. The new boat has arrived just as the Station is celebrating its 150th Anniversary and I have no doubt that 'David Roulston' (Civil Service 52) will play a big part in the station's future"

L1020520

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

Tagged under

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

Tagged under

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

Tagged under

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

Tagged under

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

Tagged under