British air assets assisted the Irish Coast Guard with two medical evacuations off the Irish coast within a two-day period.
A British Coast Guard Rescue99 aircraft provided support for the Shannon-based Rescue 115 Irish Coast Guard helicopter on Sunday (June 9) in a medical evacuation.
The long-range evacuation was from a merchant vessel approximately 160 nautical miles off the southwest Irish coast at 9 am on Sunday.
In a statement, the Irish Coast Guard said the merchant vessel had contacted the Irish Coast Guard on Friday, June 7th, reporting a seriously ill crew member.
“Following a link call coordinated by the Valentia Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Centre between the vessel and MEDICO Cork, it was determined that a medical evacuation was required at the earliest opportunity,” it said in the statement issued through the Department of Transport press office.
“After proceeding to within range of the coast the vessel rendezvoused with Rescue 115 helicopter approximately 160 nautical miles from the SW coast. The UK Coastguard aircraft RESCUE99 provided top cover support for the helicopter operating at long range,” it said.
“The Irish Coast Guard can confirm that the crew member was landed safely at Kerry University Hospital in the south-west for medical attention later on Sunday morning, and the vessel resumed passage,” it said.
“This is the second long-range medical evacuation coordinated by the Irish Coast Guard in recent days,”it said.
“On Friday, the Waterford Coast Guard Rescue 117 helicopter - using Cork Airport to extend range – successfully completed a medical evacuation of an ill crew member from another merchant vessel,” it said.
“This operation was coordinated with and supported by the UK and Danish authorities following an alert from the vessel,”it said.
The statement did not comment on press reports over the weekend that the Air Corps did not have an aircraft available for top cover for the June 7th mission to evacuate a crew member from a Danish merchant vessel.
The UK Defence Journal reported that a Royal Air Force P-8 Poseidon aircraft was “urgently deployed to aid in a maritime rescue operation off the coast of Cork … due to the unavailability of suitable Irish aircraft”.