#sikorsky – Crew from Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat Station were one of the rescue services invited on a familiarisation exercise of the new Sikorsky S-92, with four crew from the Irish Coast Guard Search & Rescue Helicopter team, based at Shannon.

Crews from the Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat Station, Limerick Marine Rescue and The Killaloe/Ballina Irish Coast Guard Unit were invited to a familiarisation exercise of the new, Shannon based, Irish Coast Guard Search and Rescue Sikorsky S-92 helicopter at Ballina, Co. Clare.

The helicopter landed on the GAA pitch in Ballina, Co. Clare at 16.40hrs.  After greeting and a safety brief, we worked in teams of five and six. The helicopter crew each took a group for discussion and a tour.  Liam Flynn, chief pilot with the IRCG search and rescue service, talked to the RNLI group about the helicopter and took our questions. Later, on the exercise, we got to see his phenomenal flying skills at close quarters.

Paramedic and Winchman, Gary Robinson, went through the differences that rescue crews should expect with the new helicopter, and later coordinated the basket transfer of a stretcher 'casualty' onto and off the helicopter whilst the engines were running. This exercise was to familiarise crews with the more powerful downdrafts from the Sikorsky S-92. He also briefed us prior to and then directed the winches.

This was an invaluable exercise, as we all work regularly with the helicopter crews on rescues.  All of the organisations involved gave huge thanks to Joe Doolan, Chief Officer at the Killaloe/Ballina Irish Coast Guard Search and Rescue, for the hospitality laid on everyone following the exercise

#rnli –Yesterday afternoon, a lone fisherman contacted the emergency services seeking assistance when his propeller became fouled 3 miles south of Ballycotton lighthouse off the East Cork coast.

The Ballycotton lifeboat, Austin Lidbury, launched at 16:20 and proceeded to the casualty. When they arrived on scene it was found the 20 foot fishing vessel was still attached to the net and it was necessary to cut it free. The vessel was taken under tow to Ballycotton harbour where it was safely secured alongside the pier wall at 17:30.

#rnli – Howth and Dun Laoghaire RNLI rescued five rowing skiffs in Dublin Bay last weekend when wind against tide conditions off the Kish bank threatened a local coastal rowing race.

Both All-Weather Lifeboats from Howth RNLI and Dun Laoghaire RNLI were tasked by Dublin Coastguard to assist five rowing skiffs just after 5pm according to Howth lifeboat.

Nine skiffs, each with 5 people onboard, participating in a rowing race which started from Dun Laoghaire and took them around the Kish lighthouse and back to Dun Laoghaire again. Due to the variable weather conditions and with there being quite choppy sea a number of the participants got into difficulty.

Howth lifeboat arrived on scene at 1741 and became On-Scene-Commander of the search and rescue operation.

They were joined shortly after by Dun Laoghaire's all weather lifeboat, rescue 116, Dublin Ports pilot boats 1 and 2 along with a yacht and fishing vessel.

A 'box' search was carried out one mile north and south of the Kish Lighthouse and all 5 skiffs and their crews were located and brought back to Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

On arrival the casualties were met by Dun Laoghaire coastguard unit and 2 HSE ambulances to treat a number of the casualties for hypothermia and one with a head injury.

#MISSING DIVER - Teams were still searching yesterday at a wreck site off Cape Clear for a diver missing since Tuesday, according to The Irish Times.

A Defence Forces spokesperson told the paper that a sonar device would be employed to scan the seabed for any sign of 54-year-old Reinhardt Teschke, who failed to resurface from a 90m dive on the wreck of British merchant vessel the Minnehaha.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Baltimore RNLI launched both its inshore and all-weather lifeboats to the scene south of Balitmore Harbour in West Cork on Tuesday evening to search for the German diver, one of a party of three at the wreck site.

Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 115 and the Naval Service vessel LE Ciara were also involved in the surface search, which was set to be wound down yesterday.

#rnli – Joss succeeds Laura Roche as Press Officer at Howth Lifeboat station. Laura was a valued member of the team who volunteered as the busy lifeboat station's press officer for a number of years covering all types of rescues and fundraising events. She has now passed on the mantle to Joss. He has worked as a journalist and in Public Relations, and currently runs his own media consultancy business.

Joss explained his motivation for joining Howth RNLI, 'I come from a sailing background and the RNLI have been a huge part of the community in my hometown of Dunmore East. I have known people who were lost at sea and the RNLI is something I've wanted to be part of since I was a child growing up seeing the lifeboat moored in the middle of harbour every day'.

Joss has been a member of the lifeboat crew for over a year, and as such he is at the forefront of the action, 'When the beeper goes off my heart starts racing, the priority is to get to the lifeboat station, suit up and go. There's a great sense of fulfilment when you participate in a rescue, the casualty is always grateful to be brought home safely. You need to be fearless, dependable and outgoing to be a crewmember; I'd recommend it to anyone with the required skills and suitable mindset. The main sacrifice I make is giving up my spare time'.

When asked about his new role Joss responded, 'I am looking forward to the role, being a crew member you get all the relevant information first hand which makes it easier to portray each call out to the press. I have a passion for boats and the sea and there's nothing better than writing about something you love. Laura's work was flawless, she always knew the right questions to ask the crew post call out, and was to the highest standard so I'm going to have big shoes to fill'.

The Open Day at Howth Lifeboat Station is on Sunday 9 September between 2 and 5pm.

#rnli – Baltimore Lifeboat have resumed a search for a missing diver this morning at a wreck site south of Baltimore Harbour in West Cork.

Both the inshore lifeboat and all weather lifeboat were launched yesterday evening in response to a request from the coastguard to assist in locating a diver reported missing earlier in the afternoon.

The diver had been one of a party of three diving at a wreck site 12 miles south of Baltimore Harbour. The divers are reported by the RNLI to be of German and the dive site  the wreck of the Minnehaha.

Weather conditions were excellent with a 1.5 metre swell and force 3-4 winds. The Navy vessel LE Ciara, Coastguard Helicopter 115 and the Holly Joe were all involved in the search.

As darkness approached last night the inshore lifeboat (ILB) was stood down and returned to Baltimore at 21.10 approx. Onboard the B-class ILB Bessie, were Helm Youen Jacob, Shane MacSweeney and Ger O'Brien. On board the Tamar class ALB Alan Massey, were Coxswain Kieran Cotter, Cathal Cottrell (mechanic), John Rochford, Brian MacSweeney, Jerry Smith and Aidan Bushe.

#rnli – Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat was requested to launch by Valentia Coast Guard tonight to assist two persons on board a 35ft cruiser that had suffered steering failure in deteriorating weather conditions.

The cruiser was en route from Dromineer to Mountshannon when it developed steering problems.  The skipper attempted to return to Dromineer but on entering Dromineer Bay the steering failed completely and he requested assistance.  The weather was deteriorating with a SW wind F3-4 with frequent sqalls and rain showers.  The lifeboat, with Helm Eleanor Hooker, Tom Dunne and Ben Ronayne on board, was launched at 17.45hrs.  Once alongside, a crew member was transferred onto the casualty vessel to set up a tow.  Both persons aboard the vessel were safe and unharmed and wearing lifejackets.  The boat was towed to the safety of Dromineer Harbour, where RNLI shore crew helped to tie the vessel securely for the night.

#lifeboat – Crosshaven RNLI lifeboat were called upon to assist two vessels within two days.

The first call came on Wednesday afternoon (22 Aug) after a 16' motor boat suffered mechanical failure behind Haulbowline Island. The boat owner had deployed his anchor while awaiting help to arrive. On arrival, the newest recruit to the lifeboat crew, Ian O'Keefe, managed to get the engine started before the lifeboat escorted the vessel to Monkstown Marina.

Last night, Valentia Coast Guard tasked the lifeboat to a 36' yacht, South of Roches Point. The yacht was on passage from the UK, and had suffered both rigging and mechanical failure during the night. The yacht had been drifting for several hours before being able to request assistance. The crew of four were exhausted with one person disabled due to seasickness.

One of the volunteer crew boarded the yacht and checked on the condition of the crew, before setting up a tow with the lifeboat. The casualty vessel was then taken in tow to Crosshaven Boatyard. The Volunteer crew on this service were Mark Bushe (helm) with Bernard Lynch and Vincent Fleming.

Vessels from the Naval service and the Port of Cork also responded to the scene.

#LIFEBOAT - The Galway Advertiser reports that the Galway RNLI lifeboat came to the rescue of a mother and child from a small dinghy near Kinvara in the south-eastern corner of Galway Bay yesterday.

High winds and an offshore breeze caused the dingy to drift onto Mulrooney Island between Kinvara and Parkmore Pier, stranding the Dublin woman and her four-year-old son, who are holidaying in the area.

The lifeboat crew were dispatched to the scene by the Irish Coast Guard after being notified by a canoeist in the area who assisted the family. Both were wearing lifejackets at the time of the incident, and were taken back to shore unharmed.

#lifeboat – Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat was this afternoon (Monday 20th August 2012) tasked by Malin Head Coast Guard to an adult female who became trapped on rocks whilst walking near Mullaghmore in County Sligo.

The holiday maker was walking along the coastline when she realised that the tide was coming back in and the amount of seaweed along the route made it impossible to turn back. Luckily she had her mobile phone with her and called the coast guard via the 112 emergency number.

The voluntary Bundoran Lifeboat crew launched within 6 minutes of the initial page at 14.54 and were on the scene 12 minutes later where they assisted the female on to the lifeboat William Henry Liddington. Luckily she was uninjured but was checked out by one of the EMT-trained crew and then transported back to the lifeboat station. The Rescue 118 helicopter was also tasked but stood down in an operation coordinated by Malin Head Coast Guard.

Helm of the lifeboat on the day was Daimon Fergus who said 'while we knew there was no immediate danger there was an urgency to get the person off the rocks and to safety before the tide came in much further and blocked her path completely. We would always advise members of the public who are on the water or walking on the coastline to at the very least carry a mobile phone so the alert may be raised in the event of an emergency'.