#RNLI - Kilkeel RNLI helped bring a fisherman to safety yesterday evening (Tuesday 17 May) after he was injured while fishing for prawns off the Co Down coast.

The volunteer lifeboat crew was alerted at 4.50pm and requested by Belfast Coastguard to go to the aid of an injured man on a 68ft fishing trawler in Dundalk Bay.

The inshore lifeboat, helmed by Alan Henning and with three crew members onboard, launched within minutes and made its way to the scene some six nautical miles from the lifeboat station.

Weather conditions at the time were described as wet with a lot of rain and a 1.5m swell.

Once on scene, lifeboat crew member Andrew McConnell was transferred from the lifeboat on to the fishing vessel, where he assessed the casualty and ensured he was wearing a sea survival suit before being moved from the trawler.

The injured man was made comfortable before he was strapped and lowered down into the lifeboat where he was then transported back to Kilkeel and handed over into the care of a waiting ambulance.

Speaking following the callout, Kilkeel RNLI lifeboat operations manager John Fisher said: "There wasn’t enough water in the harbour yesterday afternoon to allow the fishing trawler make its way into Kilkeel so we were happy to assist.

"We would like to wish the injured man a full and speedy recovery from his ordeal."

#RNLI - Skerries RNLI responded Sunday evening (15 May) to reports of a personal water craft in distress off the Martello tower in Loughshinny.

Dublin Coast Guard tasked Skerries RNLI just after 6pm having receiving a 999 call about a person on a personal water craft who appeared to be signalling for help.

The location was given as being in line with the Martello tower situated on a headland near Loughshinny Harbour.

The lifeboat was launched with volunteer Eoin Grimes at the helm and crewed by Emma Wilson, Steven Johnson and AJ Hughes.

Arriving on scene, the crew quickly located the casualty, a 17-year-old whose personal watercraft had encountered mechanical difficulties and was drifting.

The teenager was taken on board the lifeboat and his vessel was taken under tow. He was returned to Portmarnock beach where he had friends waiting to offer assistance. The lifeboat then returned to station.

Speaking after the callout, Skerries RNLI lifeboat operations manager Niall McGrotty said: "With the good weather meaning more people are taking to the sea, we would like to remind people that it is advisable to have their vessels fully serviced after the winter and to always carry a means of contacting the shore."

Howth RNLI launched at 3.45pm yesterday to reports of a fisherman in need of medical attention on a fishing boat 20 miles north of Lambay Island.

The casualty was removed from the fishing vessel and brought back to Howth to a waiting ambulance and transferred to hospital for treatment.

The request to launch came at 3.30pm and the Howth RNLI all-weather lifeboat proceeded 20 miles north of Howth and located the fishing trawler with the male casualty aboard. The Coast Guard helicopter was on scene to assist if necessary.

Weather was excellent with hazy sunshine and good visibility. The sea state was calm with little or no wind present.

Howth RNLI volunteers David Howard and Joss Walsh transferred to the fishing vessel to assess the casualty. It was decided to remove the fisherman to the lifeboat and return to Howth where an ambulance was waiting to take the casualty to Beaumont hospital.

Speaking following the call out, Ian Sheridan, Howth RNLI Second Duty Coxswain said: ‘Weather conditions certainly helped in the success of this operation today. We were pleased that our volunteer lifeboat crew’s training allowed us to very quickly locate and board the casualty vessel and take the fisherman back to Howth Marina and to an awaiting ambulance.’

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.’