#RNLI - Skerries RNLI saved a man from drowning yesterday afternoon (Wednesday 22 April) as they responded to an emergency call on their pagers.

Volunteer crew member Stephen Crowley was giving one of his fellow volunteers, helm David Knight, a lift ashore from his own boat shortly after 5pm when the pagers were set off.

As they made their way to the slipway at the back of the harbour to get to the lifeboat station, they encountered a man in the water who had become separated from his personal watercraft and was struggling to stay afloat.

They managed to get a rope around the man and help him onto the side of their boat and began bringing the man to shore, where they were joined by two more volunteers, helm Philip Ferguson and crew member Emma Wilson, who were already fully suited up and preparing the boat for launch when they saw the situation unfolding from the lifeboat station.

The man was helped ashore and was assessed for any first aid requirement.

Speaking after the callout, volunteer lifeboat press officer Gerry Canning said: "Fortunately our volunteers were on hand almost instantly. It is important to remember that whatever your activity, wearing a well-fitted and suitable lifejacket or buoyancy aid could save your life."

#RNLI - The volunteer lifeboat crew with Larne RNLI had a busy Sunday evening (19 April) when both the all-weather and inshore lifeboats were tasked to two separate incidents within minutes of each other.



The inshore lifeboat was launched to aid a 20-foot rowing boat with two people onboard, which was having difficulty making it to land in Ballygally Bay when it was hit by strong tides.

Meanwhile, the all-weather lifeboat was sent to search Brown’s Bay after reports were received of two canoes washed ashore with nobody on them.

The inshore lifeboat crew were quickly stood down when the two people on the rowing boat managed to make it to shore safely. The crew then immediately proceeded to Brown’s Bay where they joined their all-weather lifeboat crew colleagues in the search for the suspected two missing canoeists.



Both lifeboat crews were stood down around 45 minutes later following a call to Belfast Coastguard by a woman who said the two boys who had been on the canoes had capsized and managed to make it to shore.  They were unable to recover their canoes and so the crafts were left on scene. The boys had made it home safely.



Commenting on the callouts, Larne RNLI crew member Pamela Dorman said: "Thankfully both these callouts had a successful outcome but with conditions being choppy with a Force 4m you can never take a chance.

"These types of callouts are always taken seriously by us and treated as missing persons until further information can be obtained. We would like to thank the woman who phoned the coastguard as we were able to recover the craft so that other alerts would not be issued. 

"We would always advise people who see something at sea that worries them, to raise the alarm. You never know when a life could depend on it."

#rnli – Howth RNLI inshore lifeboat launched at 9.55pm yesterday evening to reports of a man and his dog in difficulty after being cut off by the rising tide on a sandbank opposite Burrow Beach in Sutton. The man swam safely to shore and the volunteer lifeboat crew rescued the dog and returned him to a very grateful owner.

The RNLI lifeboat pagers sounded at 9.50pm on the evening of Monday 20th April 2015 and Howth inshore lifeboat launched to man stranded with his dog on a sandbank adjacent to Burrow beach in Sutton.

The lifeboat crew discovered that the man had swam to shore and was being attended to by some locals who had heard his shouts.

The weather conditions were good as it was a clear dry night and visibility was excellent. The volunteer lifeboat crew of Declan McManus (Helm), Joss Walsh and Killian O'Reilly located "Putóg" a 4 year old Golden Retriever and returned him to his very grateful owner.
Howth RNLI Helmsman Declan McManus says: 'We were pleased to have been able to respond and launch so quickly. We urge people to be aware of their surroundings and check local tide times as a fast rising tide can catch people out in that area."

#arklow legend – We are fortunate in this country to have people who are dedicated to the marine sphere and who give freely and willingly of their time and efforts in pursuit of their belief that maritime matters really should matter to the national community.

Jimmy Tyrell from Arklow is such a man. I have known and respected him through his work for the lifeboats for many years.

The RNLI has a proud history of over 190 years and the port of Arklow in County Wicklow, a town founded by the Vikings in the 9th century, lays claim to being the first lifeboat station established in Ireland, back in 1826. Jimmy Tyrrell has led lifeboat operations there for 46 years. His family is legendary in maritime matters.

Twenty-seven years ago Jimmy made a decision. The RNLI named its different classes of boat designs after rivers, but had never used the name of an Irish river. Jimmy was determined to change that and being a determined man, he achieved his goal. So when the new Shannon Class was born, the most modern vessel in the RNLI fleet and the first into Ireland arrived at the Lough Swilly Station at Buncrana in County Donegal, Jimmy was there to see it.

It was a great day for Jimmy, well-deserved and he describes his feeling as he saw the boat arrive on this edition of THIS ISLAND NATION.

When Jimmy retired from RNLI duties in Arklow another member of that great maritime family stood up to take over from him and continue the family association, John Tyrrell, who is now Lifeboat Operations Manager there.

The new Shannon lifeboat at Lough Swilly cost €2.4m and was designed by a Derry man who works for the RNLI at its Poole headquarters. It uses twin waterjets instead of propellers, giving it more manoeuvrability and the ability to operate in shallow waters. The man who designed it is Peter Eyre and he was once saved by the lifeboat service when he got into difficulty on the water, the story of which he tells also on the current edition of THIS ISLAND NATION.

When the RNLI describes a boat as "all-weather..." they mean it, the service always responds to calls for help, even in the worst of sea conditions, so the crews deserve the best boats. The Shannon has a top speed of 25 knots, a range of 250 nautical miles and a unique hull to minimise slamming of the boat in heavy seas, with shock-absorbing seats to protect the crew from impact when powering through the waves. The Lough Swilly lifeboat has been largely funded through a legacy from Derek Jim Bullivant of Bewdley, Worcestershire, in the UK who died in September of 2011.and is named Derek Bullivant. Coxswain, Mark Bennett, commands it and was welcomed by a huge crowd when he and his crew brought the boat from Poole to Buncrana. He tells us how it was an emotional day for him.

BASS BAN

This edition of Ireland's niche maritime programme also has an interesting story about supermarket advertising which can mislead purchasers into thinking they are buying Irish bass when it is illegal to catch them for commercial purposes in Irish waters, where such fishing is banned. So why are the public misled by advertising which says "Irish produced bass" when they come from fish farms abroad?

David Stanton, the Fine Gael TD for Cork East interested – and somewhat pleasantly surprised me – by making an issue of the lack of Government and State attention to the marine sphere. It's not often, I put to him, that a politician is heard to draw attention to maritime matters. He has a good point -that there is no single, central point in the State system, no 'one-stop-shop,' where all maritime enquiries can be dealt with, so anyone proposing a project can be sent from one section of the State services to another so many times they could meet themselves coming back. He is worth listening to and I'll be looking forward to hearing how the self-imposed mission he has declared, to highlight maritime affairs at Government level, gets on.

The island communities join the programme with a regular report, in which we hear why €60,000 a year, not a huge sum of money, is vital to education on the islands.

A lot then, about maritime matters which you can hear THIS ISLAND NATION by clicking on the programme icon above

Your comments are welcome below. 

#lifeboat – Lifeboat crew launched early this morning to take part in a multi agency search and rescue operation involving Kilrush and Fenit RNLI, Coast Guard rescue teams from Kilkee and Doolin.

At 3.29am Shannon Coast guard tasked Kilrush RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew to investigate a report of four persons in the water in the Poulnasherry Bay area of the Shannon Estuary.

Kilrush lifeboat crew were met by members of the public on the scene who had successfully recovered three persons safely from the water. The casualties were transferred by ambulance to Limerick Regional Hospital. Kilrush RNLI, Kilkee Coast Guard and the Shannon based Coast Guard helicopter undertook a large-scale search of the area to locate a fourth missing person.

The search operation continued through the night with the addition of Fenit RNLI lifeboat, Doolin Coast Guard, Irish Customs Vessel, Ballybunnion Rescue Services, SFPC Pilot Boat as well as an extensive shore search team from all agencies as well as navy diving units.

A person was recovered from the water at 10.42am following an extensive search.

Commenting on the callout, Pauline Dunleavy, Kilrush RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said: 'This was one of the largest search and rescue operation in the Shannon Estuary for a number of years. I would like to commend the quick response from all agencies especially the members of the public that assisted. On behalf of everyone at Kilrush RNLI Lifeboat Station, I wish to express our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the man who sadly did not survive.

#rnli – While out on exercise last night, Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat came to the assistance of five people whose boat had suffered engine failure, at the south western end of Lough Derg.

At 8.30pm the Lifeboat observed a boat close to shore at Two Mile Gate, flash a distress signal with a torch. Upon investigation the lifeboat found five people, four adults and one child on board a 20ft boat that had suffered engine failure. They had contacted two friends for assistance, but having attempted to tow them, the battery on their jet ski failed.

The lifeboat crew, with Helm Eleanor Hooker, Robbie Garland and Owen Cavanagh on board, contacted Valencia Coast Guard to make them aware of the situation and to let them know that they were going to assist. The wind was a cold northerly wind, Force 2-3. Visibility was fair with failing light.

The lifeboat secured the jet ski and took the boat with her passengers and an RNLI crew member on board, under tow to their mooring at Killaloe. Once the boat was safely tied alongside, the lifeboat took the two jet skiers plus their vessel upriver and under the bridge at Killaloe to their launching slip, where they could recover their jet sk

The Lifeboat returned to Station and was ready for service again at 10.33pm.

Lifeboat Operations Manager, Liam Maloney advises all boat users to 'fully service your boats and engines before going afloat'. He added 'if in difficulty on the lake, called 999 or 112, or use Channel 16 on VHF and ask for marine rescue'.

#rnli – Wickow RNLI lifeboat launched this afternoon to a stricken fishing boat that sank off the east coast. Latest news reports from the area say three fishermen were rescued by Coastguard helicopter from a liferaft, 12km off the coast after a lobster boat boat sank around 2.15pm. The three are being treated for hypothermia in Tallaght Hospital, according to RTE news.

#luggerroundireland – Two brothers will begin a circumnavigation of Ireland in an 18ft–Drascombe Lugger dinghy, Lughnasa this June bank holiday. Fergus and Nathaniel Ogden will set off on the c. 1000 mile voyage from Baltimore, West Cork. Hoping to achieve between 15-30 miles a day, they will live on-board the boat, calling into various stopovers along the coast - beginning with Crookhaven.

At an average speed of 3-4 knots, this won't be the fastest circumnavigation of Ireland ever achieved, but the Drascombe's rugged build quality makes it a fine boat for the job, and will be the first time an open Lugger has attempted to sail around Ireland.

They anticipate the voyage to take about a month, though the Atlantic conditions off the West Coast will play an important role in their journey time.

Aged 16 and 22, this will be the brother's longest voyage together. Personal space will take on a new meaning for the lads with cramped living on-board, and tensions are sure to run high as the 18 feet of Drascombe becomes home. Balmy days spent rolling on the long and gentle swells in the baking Irish sun will help reduce some of this pressure, however and provide plenty of opportunities for photo and video footage of the voyage. With none of the luxuries found inside a cabin, Facebook and website updates will be done as often as possible from their overnight stops.

The Ogdens are undertaking this challenge to raise funds for the RNLI, who are officially supporting their adventure.

By doing this they would like to help raise awareness for safety at sea as the number of lifeboat callouts for leisure craft has been increasing in recent years. 

To keep up with the Ogden brother's progress visit their website where you can make a donation to the RNLI and follow their blog.

onboard the Lughnasa

ROUGH ROUTE PLAN, NOT CONSIDERING ALL CONTINGENCIES. LEAVING BALTIMORE AND HEADING WEST

Crookhaven

Castletown Bearhaven

Ballycrovane Harbour

Derrynane Harbour

Knightstown, Valentia

Dingle

Brandon

Kilrush/Carrigholt

Inishmore

+ /- Galway, Roundstone, Clifden, Cleggan

Inishbofin

Clare Island

Belmullet

Kilcummin

Rosebeg

Tory

+/- Lough Swilly Stopover

Portballintrae

Rathlin / Ballycastle

Donaghdee

Carlingford

Ardglass

Howth/Dun Laoghaire

Wicklow

Wexford

Kilmore Quay

Dungarvan

+/- Youghal

Cork Harbour - Crosshaven

Kinsale

Clonakilty

Glandore / Castletownshend

Baltimore

#RNLI - The Duck Race in aid of the Helvick Head RNLI lifeboat station on Saturday 11 April 11th was a "spectacular success", according to race co-ordinator RoseAnn Foley.

As part of the Cois Cé celebrations during West Waterford Festival of Food, the 600 little yellow ducks entered the water from Devonshire Bridge in Dungarvan at 1.15pm with a lively commentary from Jenny Beresford and Sean Breathnach as they floated down Davitt’s Quay.

First prize in the Duck Race went to RNLI crew Liam Harty. Second was a photo finish between Séamus Kiersey from Ardmore and Tomás de Faoite ón Rinn, while third went to Tom Considine from Dungarvan and fourth went to Catherine Downey also from An Rinn.

Later, all the ducks were collected from the mud and were washed and put into storage until their next race.

And they weren't the only attraction on the day, with a free lifejacket clinic and sea safety check conducted by Austin Flynn also proving popular.

"We are very grateful to the public, Dungarvan Harbour Sailing Club, the kayakers, SGC and all our sponsors, West Waterford Festival of Food and the media for their enormous support," said Foley.

#RNLI - Bundoran RNLI rescued a teenager who fell from a capsized jet ski on Thursday afternoon (9 April).

The volunteer crew was requested to launch their inshore lifeboat by Malin Head Coast Guard at 1.24pm following a report that a jet ski had capsized a short distance from Bundoran Pier.

The lifeboat, helmed by Daimon Fergus and with crew members James Cassidy and Elliot Kearns on board, launched and made its way to the scene just a couple of hundred yards from the shore. Weather conditions at the time were described as good with the sun shining and the sea flat calm.

On arrival, the crew observed two males, one of whom had managed to get back on to the jet ski and a second who was still in the water.

The lifeboat crew pulled the teenager from the water and brought him back to shore where he was treated for hypothermia and the effects of having swallowed some sea water. He was subsequently transferred to Sligo General Hospital via ambulance as a precautionary measure.

"Thankfully, the lifeboat crew were able to assist this afternoon and bring this young man to safety," said Bundoran RNLI lifeboat operations manager Tony McGowan after the callout.

McGowan also encouraged anyone taking to the water "to enjoy themselves but be mindful that while the sun is shining and the weather is warm, sea temperatures are still very cold and it is important to dress appropriately bearing that in mind."

Bundoran's lifeboat crew were tasked again on Friday night (10 April) to reports of a red flare spotted over Rossnowlagh.

Following a call to Malin Head Coast Guard, the crew were paged just after 9pm and launched a short time later under cover of darkness, arriving at Rossnowlagh just before 9.30pm to commence a search of the area near Smugglers Creek. They were also joined by the Sligo-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter.

The search continued for approximately one hour before both crews were stood down and returned to base having found nothing.

Speaking on their return to the lifeboat station, volunteer helm Elliot Kearns said: "We would class this a false alarm with good intent and the member of the public who made the call was exactly right to call the coastguard. We would always rather be called to something that somebody was unsure about rather than a life be lost."

However, Kearns also urged anyone setting off Chinese lantern or lighting fires near the coast "to call the coastguard in advance to advise them. Of course if you see anyone in trouble at the coast please dial 999 or 112 immediately."

The callout was the third in a week for the Bundoran station, beginning with the rescue of a surfer in difficulty off Tullan Strand on Monday 6 April.