Bundoran RNLI fundraiser and volunteer tractor driver Cormac McGurren got a surprise on his wedding day last Friday (19th July) when, during the best man speech, he was presented with the RNLI Bronze Badge by Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Tony McGowan.

Cormac had been due to collect his award at a special ceremony in early June held at Trinity College but due to other commitments was unable to make it to pick up the badge which was awarded to him to recognise his role in raising funds and awareness for the life-saving charity and for supporting the volunteer lifeboat crews in their work.

Cormac who has been a volunteer with the charity for almost twenty years organises the annual dinner dance every January which this year attracted a crowd of around 1200. He also is one of the organising committee for the newly established soapbox race which happens on the June bank holiday weekend in Bundoran. He married Joanne in her home town of Castlerea, County Roscommon on Friday.

As he didn't make it to Dublin, Cormac's best man and fellow Bundoran RNLI volunteer Brian Gillespie arranged that he get it so it could be presented to him on his wedding day as part of his best man duties.

Paying tribute to Cormac as he presented him with his award, Lifeboat Operations Manager for Bundoran RNLI Tony McGowan said 'Cormac is not only a volunteer for the RNLI, he's a volunteer for the community of Bundoran – you know if you need any kind of work done you just call Cormac and it's done. I want to congratulate him on his recognition from the RNLI and wish him many more years success with the organisation and of course many years of happiness with his new bride Joanne'.

#WaterSafety - Rosslare RNLI has given credit to the quick-thinking member of the public who raised the alarm over what they believed to be a swimmer in difficulty - even though the call-out turned out to be a false alarm.

Lifeboats from Rosslare Harbour and Wexford RNLI were involved in the sea search on Friday evening (19 July) after a swimmer was reported to be in difficulty off Curracloe beach in Co Wexford.

The Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117 and two local fishing vessels were also involved in the search, which was stood down after an hour and 45 minutes upon coastguard request as no one was reported missing.

Speaking after the call-out, Rosslare RNLI deputy launching authority Dave Maloney said: "The member of the public who raised the alarm this evening deserves credit for doing so."

He added: "We would always encourage the public to alert the emergency services if they see anyone they believe to be in trouble or any signs of danger."

The message is particularly important in a fortnight that has seen a shocking 10 drownings around the island of Ireland - resulting in a big rise in emergency call-outs over the 2012 mid-summer period.

Elsewhere on the same day, the Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat was requested to help search the water off Ballinamona Strand in Ballycotton Bay, Co Cork, for a missing five-year-old girl.

The little girl was playing on the strand when her family lost sight of her.  Emergency services were alerted and a search of the area commenced, but thankfully a short while later the little girl was located safe and well.

In other water safety news, the Irish Coast Guard has issued a public appeal for help locating a training mannequin that was lost in Galway Bay during an exercise off Blackhead in North Clare last week.

The Connacht Tribune reports that five coastguard mannequins were placed in the water to acts as people who jumped overboard from a ship fire - but only four were recovered afterwards.

#RNLI – Crosshaven's volunteer Crew were Paged at 6pm yesterday evening to a 26' yacht taking on water off Fort Camden.

The lone skipper issued a Pan Pan alert after he noticed his bilges filling up with water and his engine overheating.

Crosshaven RNLI lifeboat with Vince Fleming, Gary Heslin and Ian Venner headed out to the yacht with an emergency salvage pump.

After the crew boarded the yacht it was found not to be necessary to use the pump as the engine was off and it is believed an engine raw water pipe had fractured.

The vessel was towed back and safely berthed at Crosshaven Boatyard.

The ILB was rehoused and ready for service at 7.10pm.

#lifeboat – Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat launched this afternoon, Sunday, 21 July, at 17:10 to assist an injured person on board a 42 ft yacht 6 miles south west of Ballycotton.

On arrival at the casualty the injured person was transferred to the RNLI lifeboat and taken to Ballycotton.

An ambulance was requested to meet the RNLI lifeboat on Ballycotton pier. The lifeboat with the casualty on board arrived at Ballycotton at 17:55 where he was assessed by medical personnel and taken to Cork University Hospital for treatment.

Having escorted the casualty ashore the Ballycotton lifeboat rejoined the 42 foot yacht with two persons still on board and escorted it safely to harbour.

#RNLI - A steady stream of people were welcomed by Wicklow RNLI at the lifeboat station's annual open day on Sunday 14 July.

Doors opened at 11am and the volunteer lifeboat crew was on hand to give tours of the station and its two lifeboats.

Activities included face painting and a joint display by Wicklow Fire and Ambulance Services. Garda, Customs and Civil Defence also put on displays throughout the afternoon, while the Irish Coast Guard helicopter flew over with the winch crew waving to the crowd below.


The final display was a simulated call-out of the inshore lifeboat. The three crew members onboard demonstrated how fast they could get into their lifeboat gear and launch.

The planned exercise involved a rescue to an injured sailor from a boat which was located in front of the crowd. The crew handed him over to a waiting ambulance.

Folk group Sheringham Shantymen travelled from Norfolk for the open day to see the station's inshore boat, which the group funded and which was named in their honour at a ceremony in 2007. 

The Shantymen entertained the crowd with music and concluded the open day with a rendition of the lifeboat anthem, Home From The Sea.


Speaking after the event,  Wicklow RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer Tommy Dover said: "We have had a fantastic weekend with the Sheringham Shantymen. One of the highlights was the concert on Saturday night where the crew was invited to join the group on stage to sing Home From the Sea.

"The crew has a long association with the Shantymen and the lifeboat they funded has rescued 32 people to date at Wicklow."

Meanwhile, a successful sea safety roadshow was held at Sligo Bay RNLI during the weekend's Sea Shanty Festival.

Numerous lifejackets were checked with many having various faults such as corded cylinder, loose cylinder or out of date firing heads. Many people also sought advice about flares, anchors and VHF radios.


RNLI Sea Safety Roadshow adviser Joe Morr said: "It was a very successful weekend in Rosses Point and I hope to bring the roadshow back again next year."

#RNLI - Achill Island RNLI responded to two separate incidents off the Mayo coast last Sunday 14 July.

The volunteer lifeboat crew was first requested to launch in the early hours of Sunday morning and again in the evening of the same day.



The crew on board the station’s all-weather lifeboat responded to a call-out a few minutes into Sunday morning when a red flare was reported to Malin Head Coast Guard Radio Station. 

The flare was believed to have been seen on the Westport side of Clew Bay. The lifeboat searched the area but nothing was found and the crew returned to station at 3am.



The second incident happened at around 7.30pm when a cruiser with four people on board reported to Malin Head Coast Guard that it had engine problems and was disabled. 

This was in the vicinity of Old Head on the south side of Clew Bay, and the Achill lifeboat was requested to assist the vessel.

af

The casualty vessel was towed to Old Head Pier by another boat that was close by, and the lifeboat ensured that all were safe before returning to station.

#RNLI - Courtmacsherry RNLI assisted two people after their yacht got into difficulty at the weekend.

The volunteer lifeboat crew was called out at 5.15pm on Saturday (13 July) to go to the aid of a yacht off Courtmacsherry Harbour in West Cork. 

The all-weather lifeboat with a crew of six was underway within minutes and proceeded to the area where the casualty had developed mechanical failure. The lifeboat arrived on the scene in 10 minutes and proceeded to take the yacht with two people on board in tow. 

Both the lifeboat and the stricken vessel were subsequently berthed at the pier in Courtmacsherry village.

This has been a busy week so far for Courtmacsherry RNLI with today's call-out being the fourth in five days.

The others were on Tuesday 9 July to an overdue jet ski in Clonakilty Bay, Thursday 11 July to the aid a windsurfer off Garrettstown, and Friday 12 July to a reported dingy off the Old Head of Kinsale which turned out to be a dead and upturned whale in the sea.

Elsewhere, Saturday was a busy evening for the Courtown lifeboat in Co Wexford.

1. lifeboat was launched to a report of two vessels aground in a cove south of Courtown Harbour, quickly locating the vessels – a 15ft speedboat and a personal water craft (PWC) – just south of the harbour in the area known as Salt Rock.

There were two people with the vessels and the speedboat was grounded but swamped.

The lifeboat took both casualties, who were very cold, back to the harbour and then returned first to recover, bail out and tow the speedboat back, and then out to tow the PWC back into the harbour.


The lifeboat then returned to station and refuelled, ready for the Sea Sunday celebrations the following day.

#RNLI – Baltimore lifeboat were called on out on consecutive nights to provide emergency assistance.

A 35ft yacht taking on water off Crookhaven called for assistance in the early hours of this morning Monday 15 July 2013. The call for assistance was issued at 01:55 and within minutes the RNLI all weather Lifeboat Alan Massey was under way. On arrival Coxswain Kieran Cotter and his crew assessed the stricken vessel which had 3 adult males on board.

The lifeboat pumped out the yacht. Seawater was still being taken on due to a cracked bolt , which was then plugged. The lifeboat towed the yacht to O'Donovans Boat yard at Oldcourt, near Skibbereen, before returning to Baltimore harbour at 07:50.

The previous night at 00:04 on Sunday 14 July a call was received to provide medical assistance for an adult male who had dislocated his shoulder.

The man and his wife had been on a 40ft yacht at a mooring in Crookhaven harbour. The Tamar class all weather lifeboat Alan Massey proceeded to Crookhaven, where crew Jerry Smith boarded the yacht to provide first aid. The man was taken off the yacht and taken by the lifeboat to rendezvous with an ambulance for further medical attention.

Onboard were Coxswain Aidan Bushe, Mechanic Cathal Cottrell, Brian MacSweeney, Jerry Smith and Pat Collins.

#RNLI - RNLI Bangor's lifeboat launched at 4pm on Friday (12 July) to assist with the medical evacuation of an unconscious sailor from a 26ft yacht.

Within minutes of the rescue pagers being activated, volunteer crew had the lifeboat launched and quickly located the yacht in Ballyholme Bay, on the southern shores of Belfast Lough.

Crews from other vessels in the vicinity also quickly responded to the Mayday call; they had been able to come alongside the yacht and had administered first aid to the injured sailor. Once medically stabilised, the sailor was taken onboard the Bangor lifeboat.

Fine weather conditions allowed the lifeboat to proceed at full speed back to Bangor, were the injured sailor was transferred into the care of waiting paramedics.

Dr Iain Dobie, a volunteer crewman with RNLI Bangor, praised the actions of all crews involved.

"When the call for help went out we are pleased that crews from other vessels close by had quickly responded and provided vital medical assistance. They did a fantastic job, by the time we arrived the gentleman was conscious."

He added: "We all wish him a full and speedy recovery."

The volunteer crew of Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat responded to two callouts in one mission last night (Saturday 13 July).

Just after 9.50pm the crew were tasked by Malin Head Coast Guard to a kayaker reported to be in difficulty off St John's Point. Within 4 minutes the Bundoran lifeboat had launched and made its way across Donegal Bay as the sun was setting, to where the kayaker had been spotted by a person on the shore. Pulling up alongside the kayaker the crew discovered the gentleman having a leisurely evening fishing and that there were no problems. This incident was then classed as a "false alarm with good intent" and the crew prepared to make their way back to Bundoran.

As they were en-route back to Bundoran and darkness was beginning to fall, a mayday call was heard over emergency channel 16. Around the same time, the lifeboat crew spotted what they thought was a white emergency flare in the direction of Mullaghmore Head and advised the Coast Guard who then tasked them to the scene to check it out. Arriving on the scene approximately 20 minutes later the crew found no sign of anybody in trouble – a member of the shore crew checked the area on land. The crew were directed to remain on scene until the Rescue 118 Search & Rescue helicopter from Sligo conducted an aerial search after which they were stood down and returned to station around 11.20pm.

Volunteer RNLI lifeboat helm for Bundoran Iarla Carty said 'fortunately the services of the lifeboat were not required on these 2 occasions however we always advise people to call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard if they think they see someone in trouble at sea. We would always rather launch and check things out to make sure everything is ok – we are mindful in these good weather conditions that more and more people will be using the water and following the news of all the tragedies during the week we would encourage water users to be extra vigilant but to enjoy themselves at the same time.'