#Coastguard - Howth Coast Guard was among many emergency units responding yesterday afternoon (Sunday 26 January) to an incident on a fishing vessel in Dublin Bay where a crew member had fallen in a storage area and lost consciousness.

Coastguard helicopter Rescue 116 was dispatched to get a winchman paramedic on board the vessel amid difficult weather conditions to stabilise the patient.

Due to the sea state and the location of the casualty, it was considered the safest option for the trawler to head to port with the coastguard paramedic remaining on board.

The Irish Coast Guard rescue team from Howth, a Dublin Fire Brigade unit from Kilbarrack and a HSE ambulance from Swords were tasked to attend the West Pier in Howth.

The patient had regained consciousness by the time he was successfully extracted by stretcher through narrow hatches to the deck and onto the pier, from where he was transported by ambulance to Beaumont Hospital for further evauluation.

#Coastguard - Last month's Belfast Coastguard understaffing concerns have been echoed across the North Channel in Western Scotland, with the SNP adding its voice to the chorus of disapproval.

As Glasgow's Evening Times reports, Belfast's repeated staffing issues - the station was manned below risk-assessed levels on eight separate occasions - compounded problems already identified at Aberdeen, which was understaffed for more than half of all shifts in December.

Both stations are charged with protecting the entirely of the mainland Scottish coastline, on top of Belfast's duties for the whole of Northern Ireland.

The SNP's Stuart McMillan has cited both station's staffing records as evidence that the decision to close the Clyde coastguard station in Greenock, northwest of Glasgow, was ill-advised.

These concerns come as Ireland faces its own coastguard consultation efforts that threaten to undermine "30 years of progress in marine safety".

The Evening Times has more on the story HERE.

#coastguard – Members of the public have been urged to heed the advice of the Irish Coast Guard as Met Éireann has issued an orange weather warning for counties Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Kerry and Limerick.

An orange weather warning is forecast in west and south west coastal counties with some extremely windy, blustery conditions at times during the rest of this weekend, with winds gusting between 100 and 130 km/h at times - highest in coastal areas. The wind direction will be mainly southwest to westerly, but will be southerly for a time later tonight. An additional hazard will be high seas and waves, which will be highest during Sunday afternoon and Sunday night.

Severe southwest winds with mean speeds of 70 to 90km/h and damaging gusts of 120 to 150km/h, strongest in exposed coastal areas. Very high seas also being predicted.

The Coast Guard strongly advises the public not to go out on exposed coasts, cliffs, piers, harbour walls, beaches, promenades or any other coastal areas during the inclement weather. Huge waves can be whipped up by high seas. These waves can pose hazards to anyone close to the shoreline.

Manager of the Irish Coast Guard, Declan Geoghegan said: "The public should be extremely careful when venturing out in such conditions, they should check the weather forecast and remain away from exposed areas."

Remember to monitor weather broadcasts when travelling and heed the advice of the RSA on road use during severe weather and high winds.

Specific advice from the Coast Guard is:
• The public is advised to stay away from the shoreline and to avoid engaging in water sports
• Do not venture out unnecessarily when gale force conditions are forecast
• Avoid exposed coasts, cliff paths and coastal areas during inclement weather this week
• Owners of small vessels and fishing vessels in coastal waters should seek shelter and secure them properly with moorings.

If you do see someone in difficulty in the sea, on the shore, cliffs, lakes or rivers dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.

#Coastguard - The rescue of a lost dog from a cliff on Valentia Island is just one of the latest achievements of a coastguard - both volunteer and professional - that boasts a fleet "as good as you'll find anywhere in Europe".

The Irish Examiner reports the comment from Irish Coast Guard director Chris Reynolds at the launch of Dublin's new Sikorsky S92 search and rescue helicopter yesterday (13 January).

On the same say, coastguard volunteers in Co Kerry retrieved a lost beagle from a cliff crevice on Valentia Island's Fogher Cliffs.

UPI reports that the dog, named Shandon, has been lost for three days after wandering from its owner on a walk.

But he was finally located and brought to safety by volunteers from the Knightstown Coast Guard - acting in their own capacity as official searches cannot be conducted for animals.

#coastguard – Belfast Coastguard are issuing a warning following the Met Office forecast for rain during the remainder of Sunday and for strong winds or gales on Monday. The Northern Ireland and Scottish Coastline is expected to get hit with strong winds and high tides to produce large over-topping waves and another tidal surge, with the east coast particularly at risk.

Belfast Coastguard Rescue Co-ordination Centre manager, Steven Carson, said:

"With one of the worst tidal surges in recent years, we would urge members of the public to take extra care along our coastline at this time. Please stay away from coastal paths, sea walls and cliff edges. These types of conditions, with choppy seas and large waves, are likely to be with us for a few days yet, so please don't take risks. If you do get into difficulty, or spot someone else in trouble, call 999 straight away and ask for the Coastguard."

#Coastguard - The Irish Times reports that the body of a man who was reported missing off Ballybunion on Co Kerry at the weekend has been found this afternoon (31 December).

The remains of the 64-year-old were recovered by the Irish Coast Guard after being spotted from the air by the Shannon-based rescue helicopter.

#Coastguard - Proposals to cut Malin Head's coastguard watches from round-the-clock to just 12 hours threaten to “to tear up 30 years of progress” in marine safety, as The Irish Times reports.

The statement by Irish Coast Guard chief Chris Reynolds comes from documents released under the Freedom of Information Act that outline his organisation's and the Marine Survey Office's stance against the Department of Transport's planned reorganisation of Ireland's maritime safety network in the wake of last year's 'value for money' report.

Reynolds also described as "unwise and unsafe" planned cuts to staffing levels across the coastguard network that would see volunteer units reduced from 49 to 42 when current levels are already operating at half that as recommended in the UK.

More than a year ago it was announced that the coastguard radio stations at Malin Head and Valentia would remain open following the threat of closure to one or both under consolidation proposals being evaluated by Transport Minister Leo Varadkar.

Since then the Government has already approved next year's merger of the Irish Coast Guard and the Marine Survey Office under a single administrative body to be known as the Irish Maritime Administration (IMA).

However, the documents seen by the IT show both organisation's concerns over intentions to demote Malin and Valentia to sub-station status below a main control centre in Blanchardstown, west Dublin, within the minister's constituency - as well as what Reynolds calls a "dumbing down" of activity via giving civil servants more control over maritime policy.

The Irish Times has much more on this story HERE.

#Rescue - The Irish Independent reports that a 13-year-old boy has been rescued after falling into the River Boyne in Drogheda last night (28 December).

It's believed the boy had been playing close to the edge of the river opposite the Louth town's Garda station when he slipped into the water.

The casualty was kept afloat by a life ring thrown by a passer-by till he was rescued by the Irish Coast Guard.

The Irish Independent has more on the story HERE.

#Coastguard - TheJournal.ie reports that yesterday's severe storm conditions forced two Irish Coast Guard helicopters to stand down a mission to retrieve an ill fisherman from a Spanish trawler 100 miles off the west coast last night (27 December).

A coastguard spokesperson has since confirmed that the fishing vessel later arrived near Castletownbere in West Cork where the crewman casualty, who complained of chest pains, was being assessed.

#Coastguard - The Howth unit of the Irish Coast Guard reports that it was tasked to assist the Dublin-based rescue helicopter with a medical evacuation landing on Christmas Eve.

Rescue 116 landed at the OBI fire brigade training college on Malahide Road where the casualty was transferred to a waiting ambulance.

The medieval marked the first such operation for Rescue 116 and the expansion of the medevac programme trialled by the Shannon-based helicopter earlier this year.