Wexford RNLI’s inshore lifeboat had a busy Sunday afternoon (13 August) with two back-to-back rescue efforts.

Lifeboat helm Damien Foley and volunteer crew Ger Doran and Donal Troddyn were first tasked with assisting two people whose boat suffered engine failure inside Wexford harbour at 1.08pm.

The lifeboat crew arrived on scene at 1.18pm and after assessing the situation, they decided the safest option was to secure a tow to the casualty vessel and bring the people safely ashore.

At 1.53pm, just as the lifeboat was a few hundred metres from shore, the Irish Coast Guard tasked them to reports of two girls in the water off Rosslare Strand.

The lifeboat crew were able to bring the people ashore before turning around en route to Rosslare, within minutes of the tasking.

Conditions at the time were good, with a south-westerly Force 3 wind and rising tide. Rosslare Harbour RNLI were also tasked to the incident.

While their lifeboat was on the way to Rosslare Point, Wexford RNLI were informed that another paddleboard user had assisted in the rescue and the girls were safely ashore.

Rosslare Harbour’s lifeboat was asked to search and recover the lost paddleboard in case it was spotted later and reported again.

Speaking following the call-out, Wexford RNLI helm Damien Foley said: “Both incidents resulted in good outcomes. If anyone sees a person in difficulty on or near the water, please dial 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.”

Shore crew for Wexford RNLI on Sunday afternoon was Simon Gulliver and the launch authority was Dave Dempsey.

Lough Derg RNLI were requested to launch at noon on Thursday 10 August) to assist two people on a 40ft cruiser with engine failure and at anchor by navigation buoy H, close to Terryglass Bay.

The inshore lifeboat Jean Spier launched with helm Steve Smyth and crew and Eleanor Hooker, Chris Parker and Joe O’Donoghue on board. The wind was south-easterly Force 4-5 and visibility was good.

At 12.35pm the lifeboat located the casualty vessel and came alongside to transfer an RNLI volunteer across to assess the situation. Both people on board were safe and unharmed and wearing their lifejackets.

The RNLI crew reported back to the lifeboat that the vessel was dragging its anchor slightly and at risk of being dragged into rocky and shallow water.

It was then decided to take the vessel with its passengers, and with the RNLI crew member remaining on board, to the closest safe harbour.

Within minutes, the lifeboat had the casualty vessel under an astern tow to Terryglass Harbour. On constant lookout, the lifeboat crew kept the helm appraised of the dense traffic on the lake also making way for Terryglass.

In order to navigate the narrow channel into the harbour, the lifeboat helm advised he was going to take the tow head to weather and to prepare for an alongside tow.

As the harbour was full, at 1.16pm the lifeboat safely moored the casualty vessel on the outer wall of the harbour.

Speaking after the call-out, Aoife Kennedy, deputy launching authority at Lough Derg RNLI advises boat users: “If you find yourself in difficulty, dial 112 or 999 and ask for the coastguard.”

This was the second call of the week for Lough Derg RNLI. On Sunday afternoon (6 August) pagers sounded for a request to assist three people on a vessel taking on water and in danger of sinking outside Garrykennedy Harbour. But shortly after launch the lifeboat was stood down as it emerged that another vessel had taken the casualty boat by tow to a safe mooring in the harbour.

Enniskillen RNLI’s inshore lifeboat John and Jean Lewis was launched at the request of Belfast Coastguard on Wednesday afternoon (9 August) to assess a boat breakdown near Portoa Lock.

The Shetland cruiser with two people onboard had reported encountering mechanical issues, and was found adrift when the lifeboat arrived on scene.

The lifeboat crew assessed those onboard and found them to be safe and well and wearing lifejackets.

After its mechanical issues were remedied, the vessel made its way to the Round ‘O’ jetty followed by the lifeboat crew and it was safely secured at its berth.

Speaking following the call-out, Alan Shaw, volunteer helm at Enniskillen RNLI had advice for all boat users in the summer season.

“Carry out regular maintenance checks on your vessel. Make sure you have the relevant charts required before starting your journey, lifejackets for all on board and a means of calling for assistance if you find yourself in trouble.

“If you see someone in trouble on the water or are in difficulties yourself the number to dial is 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.”

Just hours after the conclusion of their station’s open day on Sunday (6 August), Wicklow RNLI’s volunteer crew members responded to the first of two call-outs in 24 hours.

Pagers sounded just after 9.30pm on Sunday night and within 10 minutes the all-weather lifeboat Ruth and David Arthur was making best speed to a position just south of Greystones to attend a six-metre fishing vessel with one person on board which was adrift after suffering engine failure.

Arriving on scene 30 minutes after launch, the lifeboat coxswain assessed the situation and decided that the safest option was to tow the vessel to the nearest port.

The fishing vessel’s lone crew was safely landed ashore at Greystones Marina shortly after 10.35pm.

The second call-out came at 5.40pm on Monday (7 August) when a concerned member of the public reported a small inflatable dinghy with four people on board appeared to be struggling to get back to shore due to the turning tide and westerly offshore wind.

The D-class inshore lifeboat was launched within minutes under helm Paul Sillery and it quickly located the the dinghy and its occupants just as they were making it ashore at Travelahawk beach.

Once it was ascertained that no further assistance was required, the lifeboat was stood down by the Irish Coast Guard.

Speaking later, Sillery emphasised the dangers of using inflatables in the sea: “Inflatables can pose significant risks, as they are susceptible to changing tides, offshore winds and currents.

“We would urge everyone to leave the inflatables at home and not bring them into the sea. If you see someone in trouble in the water, please call 112 or 999 and ask for the coastguard.”

Skerries RNLI were tasked just before 10pm on Friday night (4 August) following a 999 call to report that two teenagers were stranded on Shenick Island, having been cut off by the incoming tide.

The volunteers in Skerries launched their Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Louis Simson and proceeded to make their way around the headland at Red Island in Skerries towards Shenick Island.

Arriving on scene, the lifeboat crew quickly spotted the two teenagers on the shoreline on the island. The lifeboat was manoeuvred into shallow water near the bar between the mainland and the island and a crew member made their way ashore.

Having confirmed that no medical assistance was required, the crew member helped the teenagers make their way out the lifeboat and brought to the station where they were given some dry blankets and refreshments to warm themselves while they waited for someone to collect them.

Weather conditions at the time had a Force 2-3 south-easterly wind with a calm sea and good visibility.

This was the second day in a row that the lifeboat was tasked to people stranded on Shenick, having responded to a similar call as they finished training on Thursday evening. In that instance the people made it ashore themselves.

Speaking about the call-out, volunteer lifeboat press officer Gerry Canning said: “When [the teenagers] realised that they had gotten their timing wrong and were not going to get back to shore as the water was getting deeper, they absolutely made the right call in returning to the island and calling for help and we always encourage anyone in difficulty on or near the water to dial 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.”

The Cowes RNLI lifeboat was kept busy during Cowes Week racing earlier this week with incidents on Monday and Tuesday.

On Monday morning (31 July) the lifeboat crew were called out to two yachts involved in a violent collision, and then assisted a yachtsman knocked into the water.

In all cases the boats involved were competing in the Daring Class event.

On the first occasion one Daring collided with the hull of another, holing it. The damaged boat was eventually towed to a Cowes boatyard by a harbour launch, escorted by the lifeboat.

Then the lifeboat went back out into the Solent to assist a Daring yachtsman who was knocked into the water near the Bramble Bank, after being struck by a boom when the boat broached.

The casualty was taken by the lifeboat to Trinity Landing where he was received by the coastguard for possible onward medical treatment.

Cowes RNLI on exercise on Wednesday 2 August

Cowes RNLI launched again on Tuesday (1 August), helping in two Solent incidents.

The first call-out was just after 1pm in response to a report of a man overboard from a yacht, east of Cowes Harbour’s breakwater.

The lifeboat eventually delivered the man to Trinity Landing, where island coastguards handed him over to an ambulance for onward delivery to St Mary’s Hospital in Newport.

Another emergency call followed, concerning a woman with a suspected broken wrist aboard a day-boat.

The lifeboat took the woman to Trinity Landing where a doctor member of the lifeboat station was waiting to carry out a preliminary assessment before she, too, was taken to hospital.

The lifeboat then began to tow the day-boat, with its two remaining occupants, into the harbour — where a harbour launch then took over to take the craft to a local marina.

The women of Cowes RNLI

On Wednesday (2 August) all Cowes Week racing was abandoned due to high winds for a second time, but the daily lifeboat exercises continued as planned — with one launch staffed entirely by women.

“It was great to have an all-women crew on the lifeboat, all women on shore crew, a woman as our launching authority, a woman as our plant operator and the women from the shop and visits team,” said one crew member.

Mark Southwell, station operations manager added": “As far back as 15 years ago the then-independent Cowes lifeboat already had a mixed crew, which went on transfer to the RNLI service. So, from the start we have been able to demonstrate that the lifeboat it not a men’s club — and it’s not a club at all, but a serious professional service, ready at a moment’s notice.

“Today 30 per cent of the station itself is female. There are no bars or prejudices towards anyone here. Logically that’ll be a 50/50 split one day and rightly so, thus reflecting the population of Cowes. And all lifeboats should fully represent their towns.

“I have to say that I admire anyone, man or woman, who happily tuns up and launches in such foul conditions as we have experienced today, and still has a broad smile!”

Baltimore RNLI were called out on Monday night (31 July) for the second time in two days to provide a medical evacuation, this time from Cape Clear Island off the coast of West Cork.

The volunteer lifeboat crew launched their all-weather lifeboat at 9.08pm following a request from the Irish Coast Guard to medevac a visitor from the island.

Conditions during the call-out were good, with a north-westerly Force 5 wind, smooth sea and good visibility.

Arriving at North Harbour on Cape Clear Island at 9.33pm, the lifeboat crew performed a care assessment of the casualty before transferring him onboard the lifeboat and taking him to the station in Baltimore, where he was handed over to the care of a waiting HSE ambulance crew shortly after 10.10pm.

Speaking following the call-out, Kate Callanan, Baltimore RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat press officer said: “This is the second medevac carried out from an island within two days. On 30 July a man on Sherkin Island who had suffered an injury required the lifeboat to bring him out to the mainland for treatment.

“Baltimore RNLI provides a vital service to those living, working or holidaying on an island who are in need of medical assistance. If you find yourself in a emergency whilst on an island, call 999 or 112.”

There were seven volunteer crew onboard the lifeboat during Monday night’s call-out: coxswain Aidan Bushe, mechanic Jerry Smith and crew members Kieran Collins, Brian McSweeney, Colin Whooley, Emma Geary and Stuart Musgrave.

The RNLI has teamed up with British Canoeing to encourage people to make safety a priority before taking to the water.

And echoing their safety advice is a kayaker who claims his trip to the coast may have ended in tragedy had he not been carrying the correct kit.

The summer safety campaign is in response to figures showing the number of lives saved while kayaking or canoeing by RNLI crews more than doubled last year in comparison to 2021.

Stand-up paddleboarding has continued to increase in popularity as last year, RNLI lifeboat crews saw a 21% rise in launches to paddleboarders across the UK and Ireland, in comparison to 2021.

It is a particular issue on Anglesey, where RNLI lifeboat crews at Trearddur Bay, Moelfre, Holyhead and Beaumaris have seen the number of people rescued while taking part in these activities rocket from six in 2021 to 37 in 2022.

RNLI crews are urging visitors to the coast to make safety a priority this summer. It’s a message shared by kayaker Guy Lowdes from Llandegla, who was returning from the Skerries near Holyhead with a group of 10 other kayakers back in December when he got into trouble.

Guy says: “I’m an experienced coastal kayaker and never did I expect to find myself in this situation. My kayak was capsized by a rogue wave and I found myself in the water on a very cold December afternoon. The tide pushed me one way and my boat the other, I must have been in the water about 20 minutes.”

Guy’s friend was able to remain with him and thankfully had a personal locator beacon (PLB) which he used to call for help. A rescue operation was mounted including a helicopter and RNLI crews from Holyhead and Moelfre.

“I’m just so grateful we had a means of calling for help, so we could alert the RNLI to exactly where we were located,” Guy says. “I was starting to feel incredibly cold and poorly despite wearing a dry suit. I’m convinced if I’d have been there any longer with the failing light, we may never have been found.

“Once the RNLI arrived and I was taken onboard Holyhead’s lifeboat, the adrenaline stopped. I felt very unwell and cold. I’m so pleased to be here today sharing my story and hoping people take heed of the RNLI’s advice and never set up without having the necessary equipment. My story just goes to show how dangerously unpredictable the sea can be.”

The RNLI and British Canoeing are raising awareness of how to stay safe on the water when planning to stand-up paddleboard, kayak or canoe on any type of water.

Their safety advice is to:

• Wear a buoyancy aid or personal flotation device.
• Carry a means of communication to call for help in an emergency.
• Check the weather before heading out.
• Tell others of your plans so they know when you will be returning.
• Paddle within your ability.

The Anglesey coastline in Wales has become a mecca for people wanting to take to the sea and experience these popular activities, but local RNLI crews are encouraging people to heed by their advice.

Vince Jones, RNLI mechanic at Moelfre says they have been inundated with calls to stand-up paddleboarders in particular.

“We want people to enjoy our stunning coastline but are urging people to think carefully before setting out,” he says. “Many of our calls are to people being blown out to sea in offshore winds. We ask people to think carefully about the weather and tides before setting off and ensuring they have a means of calling for help.”

For more information on how to stay safe during paddlesports, see the RNLI website HERE.

Youghal RNLI came to aid of a sailor onboard a broken-down 17ft pleasure boat that suffered engine failure some two-and-a-half miles south east of Youghal Lighthouse in East Cork.

The volunteer crew were requested to launch their Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat at 11.11am on Thursday morning (20 July) following a report of a person onboard a broken-down Warrior 175 and were on the scene around five minutes later.

Weather conditions were described as very favourable with a northwesterly breeze on a ebbing tide.

Helmed by Alan Revins along with crew members Jack Nolan, Shane Buckley and Jason Innes, the lifeboat arrived at the location and the crew observed the man onboard was safe and well and did not require medical assistance.

Upon further assessment of the situation, one crew member boarded the vessel and a decision was made to establish a tow and bring the boat to its mooring at Ferry Point in Youghal Harbour.

Speaking after the call-out, Mark Nolan, Youghal RNLI deputy launching authority said: “The person onboard made the call for assistance by calling 999 and asking for the coastguard. He did the right thing by carrying a means of communication like a mobile phone and VHF radio and also by wearing his personal protective equipment — things we would always encourage people to do.”

Baltimore RNLI were called out to a medical emergency on Thursday evening (20 July) to Heir Island off the coast of West Cork.

The volunteer lifeboat crew launched their all-weather lifeboat at 5.06pm following a request from the Irish Coast Guard to provide medical assistance to a woman who had sustained an injury while visiting the island.

Arriving at Heir Island within 15 minutes, coxswain Aidan Bushe requested the immediate launch of the lifeboat’s Y-boat with two volunteer lifeboat crew, Rob O’Leary and Don O’Donovan, on board in order to quickly access the beach where the casualty was.

Due to the nature of the injury, and having spoken to a medical professional who was also assisting on the beach, Bushe felt that a medical evacuation by air was necessary and contacted the Irish Coast Guard to request a helicopter.

A HSE ambulance crew had arrived at the lifeboat station so while the two lifeboat crew remained on the beach, the lifeboat returned to the station in Baltimore, collected the two paramedics plus an additional lifeboat crew member and quickly returned to Heir Island.

The two paramedics were then transferred onto the beach by the Y-boat and care was handed over as they awaited the arrival of the coastguard’s Shannon-based helicopter Rescue 115, who airlifted the casualty to hospital for further treatment.

Conditions during the call-out were relatively calm with a northeasterly Force 2 wind and very little sea swell.

Speaking following the call-out, Kate Callanan, Baltimore RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer said: “This is a great example of a multi-agency rescue with Baltimore RNLI, the Irish Coast Guard and the National Ambulance Service all working together to assist in this medevac.

“We would like to wish to casualty a speedy recovery. If you find yourself in a medical emergency whilst on an island, call 999 or 112.”

There were six volunteer crew onboard the lifeboat: Coxswain Aidan Bushe, Mechanic Sean McCarthy and crew members Pat Collins, Don O’Donovan, Stuart Musgrave and Rob O’Leary.