Arklow RNLI launched yesterday morning (9 June) at around 6.30am to a request to assist two people on a fishing vessel which had lost propulsion north of the Co Wicklow town.

The volunteer crew made their way to the lifeboat station and within minutes of the request were aboard the all-weather lifeboat Ger Tigchlearr and en route to the reported location.

In a fresh southerly breeze with moderate seas, the lifeboat made its way to the reported position five miles north of Arklow. Once on scene, the casualty vessel was quickly located and it was confirmed that it had lost propulsion.

A tow line was established and the casualty vessel was towed back to the nearest safe port at Arklow, where all hands came ashore at approximately 8am.

Following the callout, Mark Corcoran, Arklow RNLI press officer said: “Thanks to our volunteer crew who at a moment’s notice go to sea to assist others. Please remember to respect the water.”

Arklow RNLI’s crew on this callout were coxswain Ned Dillon, John Tyrrell, Jimmy Myler, Sinead Myler, Craig O’Reilly and station mechanic James Russell.

Portaferry and Peel RNLI came to the aid of a kayaker who got into difficulty in the Irish Sea earlier this week.

The man, who had been kayaking from the Isle of Man to Northern Ireland from early morning on Wednesday (8 June) became fatigued and, when he couldn’t see land, raised the alarm for help.

Both the inshore lifeboat from Portaferry RNLI and the all-weather lifeboat from Peel RNLI on Mann were requested to launch.

The pagers at Portaferry RNLI sounded shortly after 5pm as the station’s operational and fundraising volunteers were enjoying a visit by the RNLI’s chief executive Mark Dowie.

The inshore lifeboat, helmed by Chris Adair and with three crew onboard, launched immediately and made its way to the scene some 14 miles out from the Strangford Narrows. The Irish Coast Guard’s Dublin-based helicopter Rescue 116 was also tasked.

Weather conditions at the time were drizzly but there was good visibility. The sea was calm and there was a Force 3 easterly wind blowing. Once on scene at 5.58pm, the crew faced a Force 4 wind, fair visibility and a rough sea state.

The volunteer crew assessed the situation before helping the casualty out of his kayak and bringing him onboard the lifeboat.

He was then transferred to Peel RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat where he was brought inside the wheelhouse to be warmed up.

Both Portaferry and Peel lifeboat crews made their way to Portaferry with the casualty, who was checked over to ensure he was safe and well before he got warmed up with pizza and tea at the station.

Speaking following the callout, Philip Johnston, Portaferry RNLI lifeboat operations manager said: “The casualty was wearing the appropriate gear for kayaking and made the right decision to call the coastguard for help once he found the conditions too much.

“We would like to wish him well and thank our fellow volunteers from Peel and our colleagues in the coastguard who were also on scene.

“The pagers went off as our volunteers were having a meeting with Mark Dowie, our chief executive who was visiting from England. We were delighted to update him on our lifesaving work at Portaferry RNLI and were equally delighted to be brought up to speed from him on the various work that is happening across our charity that we are all so passionate about.

“As the pagers went off, Mark commented that out of the 124 stations that he has visited so far, we were the fourth station to have a call out during his visit.”

The teams at Portrush RNLI were delighted to hear that one of their fundraisers, John Martin, has been chosen as one of the 490 Platinum Champions due to his outstanding commitment to volunteering.

The Platinum Champion Awards were launched by the Royal Voluntary Service, of whom The Duchess of Cornwall is the president, to celebrate extraordinary volunteers Individuals and organisations were asked to nominated people who go the extra mile and deserved to be recognised in Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee year.

John was nominated by Nuala Muldoon, RNLI community manager for Northern Ireland.

John had been a frequent visitor to Portrush on the North Coast on holiday for many years, and when he moved to the area 10 years ago, he called into the lifeboat station to see if he could contribute in any way, which is where his fundraising story began.

Since then, John has been an integral part of the Portrush RNLI fundraising team, even going so far to having his head shaved in public to raise funds.

At that stage and during the early days of the pandemic, John was chair of the fundraising team, and in April 2022 he took over as the lifeboat shop manager, bringing energy and innovation to the outlet.

During the first months of COVID-19, the public could not come into the shop so John and his team took the shop outside the lifeboat station with a gazebo — operating in all weathers.

The ‘Pop-Up Shop’ became a fixture in the town as well as a real focal point for people walking to and from the harbour. As well as raising much-needed funds for the station, the gazebo also helped raised awareness of the RNLI.

Beni McAllister, Portrush’s lifeboat operations manager said: “The team at Portrush RNLI are delighted that John has been recognised in this way. He has been a real powerhouse in terms of keeping the shop going during the pandemic and exploring other ways of raising funds for the station during a very difficult time.

“We look forward to presenting him with his badge and certificate at a ceremony at the station.”

Skerries RNLI were tasked on Bank Holiday Monday evening (6 June) by Dublin Coast Guard following 999 calls reporting an injured swimmer in Rush Harbour who was unable to get out of the water.

Pagers sounded shortly before 5.30pm and the volunteer crew quickly assembled to launch their Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Louis Simson, setting a course for Rush.

When the lifeboat arrived on scene, there were already two Dublin Fire Brigade personnel in the water stabilising the injured man, who had jumped into the sea from the harbour and struck submerged rocks below.

Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116 was also on scene, however given the nature of the man’s injuries, winching him directly out of the water risked causing further discomfort or injury.

The helicopter proceeded instead to land in a nearby field which Skerries Coast Guard had secured as a landing zone.

Three crew members from Skerries RNLI entered the water and assisted the fire brigade in placing the man on a spinal board. They then carefully floated him around the harbour wall, into the harbour and ashore.

From there he was transferred by Skerries Coast Guard unit to an awaiting ambulance, which in turn brought him to the helicopter for onwards transport to hospital. Members of An Garda Síochána were also assisting on scene.

Speaking about the callout, Skerries RNLI press officer Gerry Canning said: “All of the emergency services really pulled together to ensure this man got the help he needed.

“We would advise anyone jumping the into the water to look for obstructions and check the depth of the water, every time, even if you know the area. Tides can vary and underwater objects can move. We wish the man a full and speedy recovery.”

Arklow RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew were paged by the Irish Coast Guard on Bank Holiday Monday afternoon (4 June) following a report of person in the water.

The all-weather lifeboat, under coxswain Ned Dillon with crew Geoff Kearnes, James Russell, Craig O’Reilly, Austin Gaffney, Jimmy Myler and Eddie McElheron, launched shortly after 2.20pm and made their way to the scene.

Weather conditions at the time were described as good with a calm sea, light wind and good visibility.

Upon arrival at the nearby Roadstone jetty south of the Co Wicklow town, the lifeboat crew spotted two kayaks in the water, almost under the jetty.

One of the casualties had slipped from their kayak into the water and was not able to recover back onto the craft, while the second person had stayed on the kayak alongside the casualty but was unable to assist.

The casualty was recovered from the water to the lifeboat and once they were safely aboard, the second person was recovered along with both of the kayaks. The casualty was given first aid and was cold and fatigued but uninjured.

The lifeboat returned to station and both kayakers were given refreshments and warmed up before they left.

Speaking following the callout, Mark Corcoran, Arklow RNLI community safety officer said: “Thankfully we were able to assist these kayakers safely back to shore.

“Given the good weather there are a lot more people around and on the water, we would like to share the message that if you are going on or in the water: always carry a means of calling for help, always wear a lifejacket and other appropriate protection, always check the weather and tides before going to sea and please respect the water.”

In the first of two callouts on Saturday (4 June), Newcastle RNLI’s volunteer crew came to the aid of two people on a RIB some 12 miles offshore.

Pagers sounded just after 7.10am on Saturday morning following a report that two of the six people on the RIB, which was on passage to the Isle of Man from Ardglass, were suffering with severe seasickness.

Weather conditions at the time were challenging, with a four-metre sea swell and an east-northeasterly Force 5 wind.

The all-weather lifeboat, under coxswain Niall McMurray, immediately made its way to the scene off the Co Down coast in Northern Ireland to meet the RIB.

On arrival, the lifeboat crew assessed the situation before taking the two sick passengers onboard. The crew then checked them over and reassured them as they were then brought back to Ardglass Harbour, where they were handed into the care of Newcastle Coastguard.

Later that day a second call came shortly after 6pm when concerns were raised for a pleasure craft close to Maggies Leap. However, this turned out to be a false alarm and the volunteer crew were stood down shortly after arriving at the station.

Speaking following the callouts, McMurray said: “Conditions at sea were challenging on Saturday morning but we were glad to be able to bring the casualties safely ashore when they were unwell.

“The second call transpired to be a false alarm, but I would like to commend my fellow crew members who responded so quickly again, ready to respond and go to the aid of others.

“As we head into the summer months, we want to remind everyone to enjoy themselves, but to also make sure you stay safe and know what to do in an emergency. It is important that anyone visiting the coast understands the risks of the environment. It can be very unpredictable, particularly during early summer when the risk of cold water shock significantly increases, as air temperatures warm but water temperatures remain dangerously cold.

“If you get into trouble in the water, Float to Live: lean back, using your arms and legs to stay afloat, control your breathing, then call for help or swim to safety. In a coastal emergency, call 999 or 112 for the coastguard.”

Portrush RNLI was requested to launch by Belfast Coastguard at 11.10pm last night (Sunday 5 June) to reports of a 31ft yacht without power at the Barmouth near Coleraine.

The all-weather lifeboat under coxswain Des Austin launched at 11.35pm into near perfect conditions, with a clear sky, excellent visibility and a calm sea.

The volunteer lifeboat crew arrived on scene 10 minute later and escorted the yacht with two persons on board back to Portrush Harbour on Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast and towed her alongside.

Carl Kennedy, deputy launching authority at Portrush said: “Unfortunately, this can happen with a yacht, but the couple on board did the right thing by contacting us.

“If you are taking part in any activities at sea, make sure you have a means of contacting the coastguard in case you do encounter difficulties. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Lough Derg RNLI were called to assist two people on a 36ft cruiser aground outside Garrykennedy’s old harbour wall on Saturday evening (4 June).

At 7.15pm the inshore lifeboat Jean Spier was ready to go with helm Eleanor Hooker, Doireann Kennedy, Joe O’Donoghue and Ciara Lynch on board.

As the lifeboat was launching, Valentia Coast Guard informed the volunteers that a person on shore had reported that local boats had taken the cruiser off the rocks.

However, the lifeboat was requested to proceed as as there was no update on the two people on board nor the current whereabouts of the cruiser.

The lifeboat arrived at Garrykennedy within seven minutes and the volunteers crew identified the casualty vessel tied alongside an outside jetty in the new Garrykennedy Harbour.

After the crew established that both people on the cruiser were safe, the vessel was checked for any evidence of water ingress before they updated the coastguard and returned to station.

Jeremy Freeman, deputy launching authority at Lough Derg RNLI advises boat users: “If you find yourself in difficulty on the lake, dial 999 or 112 and ask for marine rescue.”

The volunteer crew of Clifden RNLI joined Aran Islands RNLI and the Shannon-based Rescue 115 helicopter to carry out a search of the waters around Bunowen Bay on Friday night (3 June).

A member of the public reported seeing a distress flare in the area around Bunowen, west of Ballyconneely in Connemara at midnight on Friday.

Shortly afterwards the crew - coxswain James Mullen with Andy Bell, Daniel Whelan, Owen Hayes and Conor Ryan — launched the new Shannon class all-weather lifeboat St Christopher for its first call on service since being brought to Clifden three weeks ago.

With good weather conditions and calm seas overnight, a full search of the area to the south east of Slyne Head was carried out over several hours.

As no evidence of a casualty vessel was found, the crew were requested by the Irish Coast Guard to stand down. The lifeboat was back at base at 4am where it was refuelled, cleaned down and made ready for the next launch.

James Mullen, Clifden RNLI coxswain said: “As a crew we are ready to respond 24 hours a day, whenever the pager goes. The search was stood down last night but it could have been a serious incident, it is so important to call the rescue services on 112 or 999 to report any concerns.

“We are grateful to the person who raised the alarm last night and thank the volunteer crew who sacrificed a night’s sleep to ensure a successful outcome.

“It is also worth reminding people that using fireworks in a coastal area can be mistaken for distress flares which will trigger an emergency response. Please notify the coastguard if you intend setting off fireworks anywhere near the coast.”

This week marks the end of an era at Wicklow RNLI as long-serving crew member and station mechanic Brendan Copeland officially retires from saving lives at sea.

Brendan’s last day started with a trip to Dun Laoghaire Harbour to bring Wicklow RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat back to station after a lift-out and hull clean.

While the lifeboat was departing Dun Laoghaire for Wicklow, a call came in regarding a motor cruiser that had suffered engine failure in Dublin Bay.

As Wicklow RNLI’s lifeboat was close by and the motor cruiser was drifting in busy shipping lanes and a danger to traffic at Dublin Port, the lifeboat diverted to assist and was on scene in minutes.

A tow line was quickly established and the cruiser was towed to the nearest safe port of Dun Laoghaire, where its occupants were safely landed ashore.

The crew then returned to Wicklow and Brendan quietly retired after 31 years with the RNLI, helping to save 23 lives and assisting over 334 people.

Brendan, a former lighthouse keeper with The Commissioners of Irish Lights, joined Wicklow RNLI as a volunteer in 1991. In the early years he served on both the all-weather and inshore lifeboats as a crew member and emergency mechanic. In 2007, Brendan was appointed Wicklow RNLI’s full-time station mechanic, a position he held for the last 15 years.

His role involved a wide range of duties that included maintaining the Tyne class lifeboat, Annie Blaker, a labour of love he continued up to 5 April 2019 when she was officially retired as the last operating Tyne class lifeboat in the RNLI fleet.

At the time, former lifeboat operations manager Des Davitt said: “I want to pay a special thanks to our station mechanic Brendan Copeland who looked after Annie so well for all these years. Her incredible life-saving record is a measure of how well she was maintained.”

When asked in April 2019 how he felt prior to Annie Blaker launching for the final time at Wicklow, Brendan replied: “You’re asking me if I’m sad or emotional today? I’m more than that, I’m heartbroken, to borrow a quote used for the Blasket Islanders, ‘the likes will never be seen again’.”

While the Tyne lifeboat had twin propellors with a top speed of 18 knots, the new modern Shannon class lifeboat which was to follow is capable of 25 knots and considered the fastest and most technologically advanced in the RNLI fleet.

To prepare for the arrival of the Shannon class, Brendan and a panel of mechanics travelled to Poole for training on the new jet-propelled lifeboat powered by two Scania engines. The training paid off and with great determination and huge commitment from Brendan and the crew, the Shannon went on service much quicker than anticipated.

Brendan has gone to sea on countless callouts during his time with the lifeboat and one shout that stands out to him occurred in the early hours of 22 March 2013 after a fishing vessel with three crew lost power and was in danger of being washed ashore east of Wicklow Head.

He recalled: “Annie was launched, and I can honestly say as we went around the pier the sea was boiling. We managed to get a line to the boat which was larger than Annie and towed it back to Wicklow; it felt like we were in a teapot that was being shook to make the tea stronger.”

For their actions in bringing the vessel and three crew to safety, Brendan and the crew received a letter of commendation from RNLI operations director Michael Vlasto.

Brendan took part in his last afloat exercise on the lifeboat last Saturday 28 May with his volunteer team deciding to mark this milestone for their much-loved mechanic, who has been a mentor, friend and the backbone of Wicklow RNLI for many years.

As the Wicklow lifeboat returned to station, a flotilla of local boats and Arklow RNLI’s lifeboat accompanied Brendan into Wicklow Harbour.

From the east pier the arrival was witnessed by a large turnout made up of Brendan’s family, friends and his lifeboat family, while a lone piper played as the boat passed and the Dublin based Coast Guard helicopter made a flypast.

As the lifeboat reached the south quay berth, local emergency services lined up in a guard of honour and sounded their sirens as the lifeboat passed. Brendan was overwhelmed and thanked everyone.

Commenting on Brendan’s retirement, Mary Aldridge, Wicklow RNLI lifeboat operations manager said: “The crew and I wish you and Betty all the happiness in the world on your well-deserved retirement. You have provided excellent service as a community lifesaver with the RNLI since 1991; you will be severely missed at the station.”