Fethard RNLI has assisted two people onboard a pleasure craft which got into difficulty off the Wexford coast this afternoon (Sunday 15 May).

The volunteer crew launched their inshore lifeboat at 3.40pm following a request from Waterford River Rescue which reported that a 21ft Bayliner pleasure craft with two people onboard had got into difficulty.

The vessel had sustained engine failure at Creadan Head, some three miles upriver from Dunmore East.

The D Class lifeboat helmed by Thomas Stafford launched at Duncannon and made its way to the scene.

Weather conditions at the time were described as good with a fresh south westerly on shore breeze.

A local fishing vessel aided the operation by providing the lifeboat crew with the exact location of where the pleasure craft was.

Once on scene, the lifeboat crew observed that no one was in any immediate danger and began to establish a tow line.

Fethard RNLI proceeded to bring the vessel one mile up stream where the crew then handed the tow over to Waterford River Rescue who brought the vessel safely back to Waterford.

Speaking following the call out, Thomas Walter, Fethard RNLI Helm said: ‘Today’s call out was an example of good team working between ourselves and our colleagues in Waterford River Rescue. We were delighted to assist and wish the two sailors well.’

#RNLI - If ever the importance of a constant state of readiness was underlined then a single 24-hour period, this week has been a reminder of this for the volunteer lifeboat crew at Achill RNLI.

The first of three callouts came on Wednesday night (11 May) at around 10.30pm when the station’s all-weather lifeboat Sam and Ada Moody was requested to launch by the Irish Coast Guard to support the evacuation of an elderly patient from Inishturk Island, who was transferred to hospital by coastguard helicopter.

On Thursday afternoon (12 May) at 5.15pm, the lifeboat was called on again, this time to locate and rescue a small cabin boat that encountered engine failure about a mile and a half west of Dooega Head.

The distressed boat, which was crewed by four people, had to be located and then towed to Purteen Harbour, where it was brought safely ashore by a D-class inshore boat from Achill Coast Guard. Excellent weather conditions were a help to the smoothness of the recovery.

Finally, on Thursday evening a local doctor requested the assistance of Achill RNLI to take a patient from Clare Island into Cloughmore, where the patient was transferred by ambulance to hospital.

Speaking following their busy 24 hours, Achill RNLI coxswain Dave Curtis said: :Our volunteers are always on call and ready to respond when needed and we were delighted to be of assistance.

"The response to each call out demonstrated good team work with our colleagues in the coastguard, while the rescue of the cabin boat was a good example of our RNLI training paying off. We would like to wish the patients a speedy recovery."

 An off-duty RNLI lifeguard has rescued a teenage boy this afternoon after he got into difficulty when bodyboarding in Portrush.

Conard McCullagh, a Senior RNLI Lifeguard on the Causeway Coast was cycling from Portstewart where he had been attending the North West 200 race paddock when at approximately 2pm he observed two teenagers on bodyboards in the water at Portrush West Strand.

Knowing the beach and the dangers of the water at Black Rocks, an area prone to rip currents, Conrad immediately sensed that the teenagers may get into difficulty and went to their parents who were on the shore. Conrad felt the teenagers were too far out in the water and advised their parents to wave them back in.

One of the teenagers, a 15-year-old girl managed to paddle her way in but the 13-year old boy struggled and indicated that he couldn’t get back in as the water was sucking him out fast.

Conrad immediately ran to the RNLI Beach Lifeguard Unit and grabbed a rescue board and went to the casualty and pulled him out of the water.

Once he had the teenage boy safely ashore, Conrad carried out casualty care checks to ensure the boy was ok.

Speaking following the rescue, Karl O’Neill, RNLI Lifeguard Supervisor said: ‘I would like to commend Conrad who wasn’t on duty this afternoon but used his RNLI skills and training to remain vigilant, spot the danger and go straight to the family when he suspected the teenagers may be in trouble.

‘This rescue serves as a reminder to us all that while we may be experiencing some good weather we still need to respect the water. It is a sunny warm day and the water appears calm and everything looks good on the surface but the reality is there is a lot going on underneath and the water can be very dangerous. The current the boy was bodyboarding in was simply too strong to paddle against. Thankfully, Conrad was able to go to the boy’s assistance today and we would like to wish him well following what must have been a frightening experience for him.’

RNLI lifeguards are on patrol from 11am-7pm at weekends on Benone Strand, Portrush West and East Strands, Whiterocks and Portstewart. They will take up full time daily patrol for the Summer on Saturday 25 June.

The RNLI’s advice for anyone planning a trip to the beach is to respect the water, check weather and tide times before you go and if planning to go into the water, swim at a lifeguarded beach, between the red and yellow flags. Avoid using inflatables in strong winds or rough seas.

If you get into trouble, stick your hand in the air and shout for help and if you see someone else in trouble, tell a lifeguard. If you can’t see a lifeguard, call 909 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.

Skerries RNLI responded this afternoont to reports of swimmers in difficulty off a local swimming area known as The Springers.

The pagers sounded shortly before midday after Dublin Coast Guard received reports that a number of swimmers were caught in a rip current and were unable to get back to shore.

Skerries RNLI volunteers launched the lifeboat with David Knight at the Helm and crewed by Philip Ferguson, Emma Wilson and AJ Hughes.

Arriving on scene the crew discovered that there were four casualties in the water spread over a large area in between Red Island headland and Colt Island. The lifeboat quickly began recovering the casualties into the lifeboat.

With a large sea swell running and the casualties suffering from fatigue and early symptoms of hypothermia, it was necessary for one of the Skerries RNLI volunteers, Philip Ferguson to enter the water to assist them in getting on board.

Once all the casualties were on board the lifeboat returned to the station and recovered immediately to the warmth of the boathouse. Once inside the boathouse the casualties were assessed, monitored and treated for mild hypothermia but were all fit and well leaving the station.

Skerries Coast Guard unit and the Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116 were also tasked. The helicopter stood by while the lifeboat recovered the casualties from the water.

Speaking after the call out, Gerry Canning, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Skerries RNLI said: ‘Rip currents are a major cause of accidental drowning on beaches across the world. Even if you know an area well, the currents may change based on the weather and tides. The speed of response is crucial in cases like this and our volunteers did an excellent job in getting there as safely and quickly as possible. ’

#RNLI - Rosslare Harbour RNLI volunteers launched their all-weather lifeboat at 7.30am yesterday morning (Sunday 8 May) to answer a call from the Irish Coast Guard to assist a local fishing boat with engine problems.

A very dense fog was down but the skill of the lifeboat navigators and crew ensured a quick location of the vessel, which was a short distance from Rosslare Burrow point off the Wexford coast.

"With a visibility of less than 200 metres, the lifeboat crew did extremely well to locate the vessel so quickly," said Rosslare Harbour RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer Jamie Ryan.

"This type of weather can come in fast and can be extremely challenging when a vessel suffers engine problems. Thankfully it was a successful callout."

Hours later, Newcastle RNLI launched to assist an adult and child safely back to shore just off Newcastle Harbour in Co Down.

Three volunteer lifeboat crew launched the inshore lifeboat to assist a leisure craft which experienced engine failure. Once on scene, the crew established a tow and proceeded to Newcastle Harbour.

Newcastle RNLI Helm Niall McMurray said: "We’re always happy to help where we can and thankfully conditions were calm with no one injured."

In a callout that was virtually identical to one last January, Fethard RNLI was launched this afternoon (Sunday 8 May) to reports of a kitesurfer in difficulty off Duncannon Fort. As with the previous callout the kitesurfer made it ashore safely and was then picked up by the lifeboat’s landrover.

The Fethard lifeboat was launched at 4.20pm when a member of the public raised the alarm after seeing what they thought was a kitesurfer and two windsurfers in trouble near Duncannon Fort. However the two windsurfers were assisting the kitesurfer after he went into the water and was unable to get back up and was struggling. The windsurfers brought him closer to shore but with a strong tide were not able to bring him safely in themselves.

The Fethard lifeboat was en route to Duncannon beach to be launched when the kitesurfer managed to swim to shore himself. He then made his way from the beach inland where he was picked up by the lifeboat landrover. Conditions on the day were calm with good visibility.

Commenting on the callout Fethard RNLI Launching Authority Hugh Burke said, ‘This is the second callout of a similar nature in the last five months and about the sixth in the last three years. The tide in this area is extremely strong and many people are caught out by it, especially when the weather looks fine. The depth of the water shifts quite dramatically and people don’t realise they are on the edge of a major shipping lane. We would urge people to be extremely careful when they are in this area and to take proper safety advice. Thankfully the windsurfers were on hand to give assistance and a vigilant member of the public raised the alarm, however it could have ended very differently.’

Portaferry RNLI have issued a strong warning about the dangers of taking to the sea in unsuitable craft after a callout on Friday evening saw two men rescued from the freezing water after the inflatable dinghy they were in became swamped and they ended up in the water. The inflatable craft was fitted with an outboard engine and showed signs of patching on the tube where a repair had been carried out.

Volunteer lifeboat crew with Portaferry RNLI launched at 7.07pm on Friday evening (6 May) to Killyleagh some three and a half miles from the lifeboat station to two men in the water after their cries for help were heard from the shore. On arrival at the scene the lifeboat crew learned that the men, believed to be father and son, had been rescued from the freezing water by a local boat crew.

Commenting on the callout Portaferry RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Brian Bailie said, ‘These two men had a lucky escape. If their cries for help had not been heard this could have been an awful tragedy. These types of craft are totally unsuitable for the open waters off our coast. Conditions and tides can change at a moment’s notice and the sea must be respected. An inflatable dinghy which may be okay in a supervised indoor pool is not meant for the sea. Also in this case the addition of the power from the attached outboard engine made an unsuitable craft even more dangerous.’

‘We would urge people to be responsible and check that they are using the proper equipment when they take to the water. Conditions on the lough were quite calm on Friday with a force three and a slight sea, yet these people ended up in serious trouble. Thankfully they were wearing personal flotation devices but they spent some time in freezing cold water before their cries were heard and they were rescued.’

The annual Mass in remembrance of all those lost at sea, and for their families will be celebrated in Helvick Lifeboat Station on Helvick Pier in Co.Waterford on Friday night of next week, May 13, by RNLI Station Chaplain Fr. Conor Kelly at 7.30pm.
A memorial in memory of those Lifeboat men who have lost their lives in the service of the RNLI saving others at sea on this coastline will be unveiled on Helvick Pier before the Mass begins. Nicholas Hannigan of the Dungarvan and Helvick RNLI Fundraising Branch said: “In 1852 the following brave local men lost their lives: Thomas Crawford, Capt Maurice Duggan, Laurence Lenihan, John Maher, Thomas McNamara, Maurice Mulcahy, Michael Raher and John Whelan. In 1895 Michael Hogan gallantly lost his. It is fitting that heroes from all around the Dungarvan Bay area should be remembered at home too and we hope their descendants can join us for the unveiling! Everybody is welcome to attend.”

When the report appeared here on Afloat.ie on Monday about the assistance given by Arklow RNLI to the “stranded” classic yacht off the Arklow pierheads on May 1st, warning bells rang writes W M Nixon.

For classic boat enthusiasts will have instantly recognised that the yacht in question is the 43ft ketch Maybird, built by Tyrrells of Arklow in 1937, and superbly restored in the heart of the classic yacht industry in Southampton between 2009 and 2011 by a team of all the talents in a job project-managed by owner Darryl Hughes.

Most folk on the classic yacht circuit will be aware that Maybird is entered for the Volvo Round Ireland Race from Wicklow on June 18th, in which she’ll be the oldest boat ever to have taken part. And those of us really in the know will have been aware that Darryl Hughes hopes that members of Arklow Sailing Club - and maybe even descendants of the men who built the boat back in 1937 – will be on the crew for the big race.

The Arklow maritime community being what it is, many members of the sailing club are also on the RNLI Lifeboat Crew panel, and thus some of them were on board Maybird when she set off from Cork Harbour to sail for Arklow early last Saturday as part of a programme to build up mileage experience in order to qualify for the round Ireland.

So when the photo appeared on Monday showing Maybird about to be taken in tow on Sunday evening by the Arklow lifeboat after her engine had failed right in the entrance to Arklow Harbour, at first all we could think of was the embarrassment of those on Maybird at having to be “rescued” by their colleagues.

But then we remembered that May 1st, May Day, is a great lifeboat fund-raising day, and particularly so in Arklow. So then cynical thoughts took over, thinking that maybe this was a cleverly-planned fund-raising stunt: Maybird, Mayday, May*rs* we thought.

There are times you can be just too hard-bitten. Turns out the whole story is absolutely kosher. Prior to leaving winter quarters in Crosshaven, when servicing the engine Darryl had noticed the bleed screw on the secondary fuel filter did not seem to be making an airtight fit. But the engine started with no bother, and motored the boat without trouble from Crosshaven to the Custom House Quay in Cork to meet the Arklow crew, and then took Maybird, with full complement aboard, down to Cobh on Friday evening to prepare for departure towards Arklow last Saturday morning.

They’d a fine sail round to the east coast, going outside the Tuskar to simulate round Ireland conditions, but then off the Glassgorman Bank an engine start test failed. There was air in the fuel system, but Darryl solved the problem with plumbers’ PTFE tape on the bleed screw, and they were back in business with a fading breeze, motoring the final miles and stowing sails with the engine performing well.

But just as the pierheads came abeam, the engine cut out. Fortunately Maybird’s multiple-sail rig provides almost instant hoisting of the staysail – “always the last sail to be stowed” – and they were able to sail clear and keep the situation under control while the Arklow lifeboat leapt at the chance to carry out a rescue.

As it happens, Jimmy Mylor, who organises the Arklow Sea Scouts in addition to being on the Lifeboat Crew, had meant to be on Maybird, but work commitments had caused him to drop out. Yet it was he who handed Maybird’s crew the lifeboat’s towing warp amidst much banter, banter which went on for some time.

But now the Arklow marine industry have rallied round to make sure that a new bleed screw on Maybird’s secondary filter is getting a proper seal, and all being well, Maybird will race this Saturday in Arklow SC’s weekend event. We don’t know how much extra RNLI fund-raising was done as a result of this “stunt-for-real”. But the message yet again is that you can only have three problems with a good modern marine diesel engine – fuel, fuel, and fuel.

Maybird as she looks when all is as it should be

#RNLI - Vital funds have been raised for the RNLI following the annual Dunmore East lifeboat 'Dash & Splash' and yellow welly throwing competition.

The event, which took place at Councillor’s Strand in Dunmore East on Sunday 1 May, was run as part of Mayday, the RNLI’s national annual fundraising campaign.

Dunmore East RNLI fundraising branch volunteer Carol McGeary said: "I’d like to thank everyone who came and supported the Dash & Splash and yellow welly throwing competition.

"We were especially delighted to have Senator Grace O’ Sullivan taking part and leading the swimmers into the water.

"We all had great fun with the welly throwing competition and the crew even challenged our supporters to a beach soccer match. The funds raised will help the RNLI continue to save lives at sea’.

McGeary added that RNLI volunteers in Dunmore East and around Ireland "are willing to drop everything to go and save lives at sea when their pagers beep.

"Mayday is the RNLI’s own call for help, as we rely on the generosity of the public to continue our lifesaving service, which we operate day and night, 365 days a year."

Many of the Mayday fundraising events that have taken place across the country have had a yellow welly theme, in a nod to the essential kit that the RNLI’s lifeboat crew members wear on their feet when they go out to sea to save lives.

Money raised through the Mayday campaign – which ran from Tuesday 26 April to Monday 2 May – will support the RNLI’s lifesaving work. It could be used to fund crew training, contribute towards the running costs of a lifeboat station or buy new crew kit like the yellow wellies.

There is still time to support Mayday. Visit RNLI.org/Mayday to donate.

The RNLI operates 45 lifeboat stations around Ireland. Last year, RNLI lifeboat crews in Ireland launched 1,098 times bringing 1,244 people to safety.