#rnli – Baltimore inshore lifeboat was called to give assistance when a medical emergency occurred on board a 75ft fishing vessel in Roaring Water Bay, West Cork last night. The two crew on board had been pumping the vessel bilges with a petrol pump when one of them became overcome with fumes and collapsed. The boat which services mussel rafts in the bay was at her moorings at the time. The casualty was a young man in his late twenties. His fellow crew called for assistance and managed to get him above decks.

The call for assistance was received at Baltimore lifeboat station at 18:51. Weather conditions were very poor at the time, with winds of Force 6 gusting to Force 7 and a sea swell of 1.5 metres. The inshore lifeboat was tasked into service because it could more easily negotiate the mussel rafts strung out along the bay.

Helm Jerry Smith with crew Tadhg Collins and Colin Rochford proceeded through the islands of Roaring Water Bay in pitch darkness in the twin engined Atlantic 75 RIB. When they arrived on scene at 19:30, Schull Community Rescue were already providing medical assistance. The Baltimore lifeboat were able to support efforts to revive the casualty providing essential oxygen.

A Coast Guard helicopter was dispatched to evacuate the young man. He was winched off the deck of the fishing boat at 20:15 and taken to Cork University Hospital.

The inshore lifeboat then returned in worsening weather conditions to the lifeboat station arriving back at 21:30. Crewman Tadhg Collins said, 'it was good to see rescue services working together in a coordinated fashion to ensure the safety of life at sea'.

#rnli – The volunteer lifeboat crew at Newcastle RNLI got to put their new inshore lifeboat through its paces yesterday (Thursday 4 December) when it was requested to launch hours after arriving at station. The callout came at 6.04am in the morning when the coastguard requested the launch of Newcastle's newly arrived D class inshore lifeboat and all weather lifeboat, following reports that a 56 year old man was missing.

The weather was good and the sea state calm, giving both lifeboats the perfect conditions to carry out an intensive search. In the darkness the lifeboat crew used the search light and night vision to scan the coastline and the new lifeboat was able to move in close to the rocky coastline with the crew using their oars to check the depth. Thankfully the man was located safe on land and the search was stood down at 7.30am.

Following delivery of the £41,000 lifeboat, the crew checked it was operational and Search and Rescue capable before they set to sea. The new lifeboat is fitted with SIMS (Systems and Information Management System), an RNLI-developed means for the crew to control a lot of the boat's functions and has a single 50hp outboard engine. Capable of reaching speeds of up to 27 knots the lifeboat can also be righted manually by the crew in the event of a capsize. Equipment onboard includes both fitted and hand-held VHF radio, night-vision equipment, and a first aid kit including oxygen.

The D class lifeboat was first introduced into the fleet in 1963, and its design has continued to evolve. This new lifeboat for Newcastle in county Down was generously funded through a legacy from Mrs Mary Olga Illingworth in Sheffied, with the request that it be named Eliza in memory of her mother.

Commenting on the arrival of the lifeboat, Newcastle RNLI Senior Helm Richard Burgess said, 'The new lifeboat is great to handle and is a marked improvement on our outgoing one, which gave great service to Newcastle for many years. We are very impressed with the enhanced technology and the addition of AIS (Automatic Identification System) which aids the identification and location of marine vessels. It is fast, powerful and easy to manoeuvre; ideal for launching in a hurry. We are very grateful to the late Mrs Illingworth for thinking of others through this generous legacy in providing this lifesaving vessel.'

Newcastle RNLI Deputy Launching Authority Joe Leneghan added, 'We have a great crew here in Newcastle, who put so much time and commitment into their training on the lifeboat. Therefore it is only right that the RNLI provides the best in lifeboat technology and equipment for them. Saving lives at sea is always down to the lifeboat crew but by providing them with a state of the art lifeboat, which is fully kitted out in the latest in Search and Rescue technology they can locate the casualty faster and bring them home to their loved ones sooner. I wish the lifeboat crew many successful callouts in this new lifeboat and may she always carry them home safely.'

The lifeboat crew on the inshore lifeboat were Helm Richard Burgess and crew Declan Barry and Arron Latus. On the all weather lifeboat was Coxswain Richard Herron, Deputy Coxswain William Chambers, Mechanic Aidan Riley and crewmembers Peter Uprichard, William Wilson, Robert Latus and Daniel Rooney.

#rnli – The Staff of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) selected Dun Laoghaire RNLI lifeboat as the beneficiary of the 2014 Hope You Give (HUG) charity fund paid into over the year by the staff of DLRCC.
Above, Mary Kennefick, representing HUG (pictured left), presented the donation to Mark McGibney, RNLI Coxswain with Rita O'Reilly, Honorary Secretary of the RNLI Dun Laoghaire fundraising branch and Barry Keane, Vice Chairman.

#rnli – The Courtmacsherry RNLI All Weather Lifeboat was called out at 10.40 am yesterday morning to go to the aid of a 90ft–fishing vessel that had got into difficulties while fishing 35 miles off the Coast of Seven Heads in West Cork and sought assistance.

The Lifeboat with a crew of 7 Volunteers were underway within minutes and headed to the scene of the casuality which was due south of the Old Head of Kinsale, beyond the Gas Fields. The Lifeboat located the Fishing Boat drifting at 12.20pm and took the boat , with its crew of five, in tow. After a six and a half hour tow in moderate force 4/5 conditions, the Lifeboat completed the berthing of the 120 Tonne stricken vessel at the pier in Union Hall. The lifeboat has now returned to its base in Courtmacsherry and the crew have returned to their homes after an eventful day.

The Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, Brian O Dwyer praised the quick response this Sunday morning of the voluntary Lifeboat crew from all walks of life and work, who carried out the day long rescue in a well drilled and skillful manner.

They were at sea for nearly 11 hours in total. Of interest as well is the fact the The Courtmacsherry Lifeboat held its first ever joint exercise with the newly formed RNLI Inshore Lifeboat Station at Union Hall only yesterday. The crew on todays call out were Coxswain Mark Gannon, Mechanic Chris Guy and Crew, Dave Philips, Dean Hennessy, Billy O Donovan and the father and son team of Micheal and Ciaran Hurley.

#rnli – World and European Medallist and three time Olympian Derval O'Rourke has joined forces with RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew and their children, to help launch the RNLI Reindeer Run, which raises funds for the charity that saves lives at sea. The popular event encourages people to have fun while supporting the RNLI in their work and this year it will be held on Sunday 23 November at Fota House and Gardens, Carrigtwohill in Cork with a 1km Santa Saunter and 5km and 10km routes for runners and walkers.

Speaking at the launch Derval O'Rourke said, 'I can't think of a better way to support the RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews than taking part in the Fota RNLI Reindeer Run. Coming from Cork I know first-hand the incredible work the volunteer RNLI lifeboat crews do and I'd urge people to show their support, sign up, get in some exercise and raise funds for this wonderful charity. So many people are taking up exercise and these events are a great way to get healthy.'

Derval was joined by volunteer lifeboat crewmembers Eolan Walsh from Ballycotton RNLI, Vincent Fleming and Kieran Coniry from Crosshaven RNLI, Terence Morrissey from Helvick Head RNLI and Erik Brooks and Seamus Mason from Youghal RNLI. Eolan and Vincent's young daughters Saoirse (7yrs) and Sarah (4yrs) also joined their dads for the launch and gave their backing to the Santa Saunter, which is aimed at younger participants.

Crosshaven RNLI volunteer lifeboat crewmember Vincent Fleming said, 'The RNLI has been very busy this year and the demand for our services sees us helping many people off our coast and on inland waters. Events like the Reindeer Run are not only great for people to get involved in and have fun but they are also a way for us to raise awareness of the work of the lifeboat crews.'

Helvick Head RNLI volunteer crewmember Terence Morrissey added, 'This summer the lifeboat crew in Helvick Head named our new Atlantic 85 lifeboat and that lifeboat will go on to save many lives. Funds raised by the charity through the RNLI Reindeer run go to train and equip the volunteer lifeboat crews in Ireland. Volunteer lifeboat crew are trained and ready to launch at any hour of any day, all year round, to respond to calls for help at sea and I am proud to be one of them.'

The Fota House event is followed a week later by the Dublin RNLI Reindeer Run in Marlay Park on Sunday 30 November. Author Teena Gates will be starting the Dublin fun runs.

This September the RNLI opened its 45th lifeboat station in Union Hall and last year RNLI lifeboats in Ireland launched 1,087 times and brought 1,278 people to safety, 157 of those were young people under the age of 18.

Registration is now open at rnli.org/reindeer or email [email protected] and costs €10 for the Santa Saunter and €20 for the 5km and 10km. All participants in the 5km and 10km events receive a limited edition RNLI Reindeer Run t-shirt, a pair of antlers and a medal on finishing.

#dublinbay – A regular swimmer at the popular bathing place in Sandycove, Co. Dublin was hospitalised after being rescued from the sea this morning.

The man had been swimming from the 40-foot shortly after 9am when he encountered difficulties in the choppy seas between the bathing place and Sandycove Harbour.

The Dun Laoghaire RNLI inshore lifeboat was paged by the Irish Coast Guard's Marine Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Dublin at 9.37am and the three volunteer crew launched shortly afterwards.

A second swimmer had reached the casualty with a ringbuoy and was bringing the man towards the rocks when the inshore lifeboat arrived on scene. The man was carried ashore and treated for hypothermia and minor injuries by the lifeboat crew.

The second swimmer was checked by the Dun Laoghaire Coast Guard Unit and was unhurt.

A HSE ambulance was despatched to the scene and a decision was made to MEDEVAC the casualty to the Irish Coast Guard Rescue 116 helicopter due to his deteriorating condition.

#rnli – The RNLI are inviting the public to a meetingabout plans for a permanent Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat Station in Dromineer . The public will meet the architects/engineers at a consultation on the Station plans for Lough Derg. The meeting will take place at Lough Derg Yacht Club, Wed. October 15 from 7-9pm.

The Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat Station, began operations from the premises of Lough Derg Yacht Club at Dromineer, halfway down the east shore of the lake in County Tipperary. Now that plans for our new permanent Station in the village are well underway, it is important the the public become engaged with the consultation process for the new permanet station location in their locality.

On May 25, 2014, the Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat Station celebrated its tenth birthday. In those ten years, the lifeboat has launched 240 times, 60 of those at night. Volunteer crews have rescued 340 people and saved the lives of three people.

Following a rescue August 13 of this year, the Skipper of the vessel wrote this letter to our Lifeboat Operations Manager, Mr. Liam Maloney (quote used with kind permission).

The lifeboat reached us within 20 minutes of my call and towed us to the safety of Shannon Sailing Dromineer. [...]
It would be hard to do justice to the spped and manner in which all those people concerned responded to my emmergency call, including the operator who answered my radio call.

For many years the RNLI and the lifesaving work of its volunteers, have enjoyed the strong support of the people of Nenagh through the tireless efforts of campaigners in the RNLI's expanding fund raising committee, chaired locally by Niamh McCutcheon. The RNLI is a charity that saves lives, it does not receive Governent grants and relies entirely on the contributions and legacies from the public to continue its vital operations.

Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat Station is one of forty four RNLI Stations operating in Ireland. A local application to station an RNLI lifeboat on Lough Derg, led by Charles Stanley Smith and Teddy Knight, became reality, when, on 25 May 2004, the Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat officially began service. In the preceding year and a half, volunteer crews and members for the Operations Committee were recruited and underwent intensive training on the water and in the classroom, with RNLI Divisional Trainer Assessor Helena Duggan - our Trainer Assessor to this day.

Lough Derg is one of three RNLI inland Stations in Ireland, the other two are located at Lough Erne Yacht Club, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland and our sister Station on the river Shannon, at Lough Ree.

Lough Derg is the lowest, and at twenty-seven miles long, the largest of the series of lakes on the river Shannon, the longest river in the Republic of Ireland. The shores of Lough Derg are bordered by three counties with the most outstanding countryside. It has secluded lagoons that can be accessed by narrow rivulets and many public and private harbours.

It is a beautiful, serene and charming freshwater lake. However, it can be provoked by high winds that funnel between the hills that border its southern narrower stretches of water. With little warning Lough Derg suddenly becomes an unforgiving sweep of water. At Parker's Point, where two stretches of the lake meet from the west and from the south, the water depth decreases sharply from one hundred and twenty feet to less than twenty feet. In a south westerly these factors combine to produce extremely confusing seas, with waves that come from the two directions at once to produce treacherous steep 'pyramid' waves. It is at this point on the lake that vessels frequently get into difficulties.

In the past Lough Derg was a major conduit for the passage of people and trade goods along the river Shannon. Nowadays the lake is used for pleasure by fishing and sailing boats, cruisers and barges. By necessity the rescue services must be present and ready to deal with increasing traffic and any possible difficulties that might ensue. Lough Derg is ready to do that, with volunteers on call twenty fours hours a day, every day of the year

#rnli – Dunmore East RNLI lifeboat in County Waterford rescued a cow on Saturday after she fell off a cliff and became stranded.
The volunteer crew launched their all-weather lifeboat just before 4pm at the request of the Irish Coast Guard following a report that a small boat with three people on board was in difficulty.

The vessel was reported to be in close proximity to rocks just under Creadan Head in the Waterford Estuary approximately two miles north east of Dunmore East.

The Trent Class lifeboat Elizabeth and Ronald arrived on scene five minutes after launching. The lifeboat crew noted that the small boat was not in actual difficulty but was trying to rescue a cow which had fallen over a cliff and was stranded at the bottom.
The RNLI crew assisted the three people by setting up a rope system for them and together with the assistance of Dunmore East Coast Guard the cow was brought ashore safely.

Speaking following the call out Dunmore East RNLI Deputy Coxswain Ray Power said: 'As a lifeboat crew we never know what we might be facing each time we are called, but in this case thankfully the actual call was not as serious as we first thought, but we were glad we could help all the same and bring the cow to safety.'

#rnli – Lough Swilly RNLI has rescued six men from a sinking fishing vessel off the Donegal coast in the early hours of this morning (Monday 8 September).

The volunteer lifeboat crew was requested to launch both their inshore and all-weather lifeboats at 3.15am at the request of Malin Head Coast Guard.

It followed a report that a fishing vessel with six men on board was taking on water two miles north of Dunree Head. The Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 118 from Sligo was also requested. A local fishing boat which was in the area was also ready to offer assistance.

Weather conditions at the time were described as good with a flat calm sea.

Both lifeboats proceeded in the darkness to the scene where upon arrival they spotted a fishing vessel which was lifting badly and rapidly taking on water.

All six crew on the stricken vessel were wearing lifejackets and survival suits and they had prepared their life raft for deployment.

Three RNLI crew from the all-weather lifeboat were transferred to the vessel. Using a salvage pump they started to pump water from the boat and continued for over an hour.

Once the boat was stabilised, the lifeboat escorted the vessel safely back to shore at Rathmullun where it arrived at seven o'clock this morning.

Following the four hour operation, Mark Barnett, Lough Swilly RNLI Coxswain said: 'The six fishermen deserve to be commended for their quick actions in the early hours of this morning. They called for help once they got into difficultly and had their life raft ready if needed in an emergency. The boat had taken on a considerable amount of water but thankfully our crew was able to assist and avoid the vessel from sinking and assist the men safely back to shore.'

rnli – Two men had a very narrow escape yesterday evening ( Saturday 6 Sept ) when their Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) collided with a navigation buoy near the Spit lighthouse and threw them from the boat into the water.

Crosshaven Lifeboat was paged at 10.40pm along with Rescue helicopter 117, Gyleen & Crosshaven Coast Guard, the Cork harbour Pilot launch and the ambulance service after a report of a RIB aground with the engine running near the Titanic Bar in Cobh and with no occupants onboard.

Crosshaven lifeboat under Helm Alan Venner with James Fagan and Harry O'Rourke commenced a creeping search from Spike Island. Further information then revealed the Gardai had located the two occupants ashore, shocked and suffering the effects of mild hypothermia. The two persons were handed into the care of the ambulance service

Crosshaven lifeboat along with the Crosshaven Coast Guard boat recovered the damaged Rib and towed it back to the lifeboat station.

Commenting on the incident, Patsy Fagen, Deputy Launch Authority at Crosshaven said "Thankfully, this service ended with a good result, but could quite easily have resulted in fatalities. We urge all leisure boat users to get trained and always use a kill cord when driving powered vessels".