#RNLI - Holyhead RNLI lifeboat volunteers' training turned into a real-life rescue last night after distress calls were heard from a boat carrying three men a baby in the Irish Sea.

At 6pm crew members were at the lifeboat station training when they heard a call for help over the VHF radio. They immediately raised the alarm by calling Holyhead Coastguard, who requested the launch of Holyhead RNLI's inshore lifeboat and asked the station's all weather lifeboat to be on standby.

The inshore lifeboat and its volunteer crew made their way to the Bolivar buoy near Carmel Head, where the 33ft Fairline motor vessel was at anchor and stuck fast.

On arrival, they called for the all-weather lifeboat to assist and Holyhead RNLI's Severn-class lifeboat made her way the scene.

After attempts to free the casualty vessel’s anchor, the anchor warp was severed by crew members to get the casualty vessel moving again, and a buoy was left as a marker before the vessel was towed to safety and delivered to Holyhead Marina.

There were four people on board the boat: three adults and a very young baby. All were unharmed.

Holyhead RNLI coxswain Brian Thomson said: "This call-out emphasised the importance of going to sea prepared – wearing correct lifejackets, having proper flares and safety equipment, knowing the waters into which you are going and knowing how to correctly use VHF radio."

#RNLI - Lifeboats from Bangor, Donaghadee and Larne were launched last night (Tuesday 27 October) as part of a major operation after a flight out of Belfast declared an emergency.

Police, fire and ambulance crews were also involved in the cross-agency response to the British Airways flight from Belfast City Airport to Heathrow, with 108 passengers aboard, which diverted to Belfast International Airport shortly after take-off as the pilot declared an emergency.

The RNLI lifeboats were on the water within 10 minutes of receiving a request from HM Coastguard and proceeded to positions which are part of a practiced air emergency plan.

Thankfully the services of the volunteer crews were not required and the lifeboats returned to station within the hour.

Alan Whiteside, operations director at Belfast International Airport, said: "Everything went smoothly, our own police and fire service on site here responded, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, the PSNI, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service all attended as a routine.

"But nobody was required to take any other action - the aircraft landed safely, thankfully."

#RNLI - Rosslare Harbour RNLI's volunteer lifeboat crew participating in an exercise on Sunday morning (25 October) in Rosslare Bay were diverted to a fishing vessel with an injured crewman on board.

The fishing boat was a mile northeast of Rosslare Europort when the lifeboat station was alerted at 10.30am.

First aid was given by the volunteer crew who assisted the injured fisherman on board the lifeboat, which promptly returned to station to transfer the casualty to a waiting ambulance.

Conditions at the time of the callout were good, with light westerly winds and morning sunshine.

Commenting on the callout, Rosslare RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer Jamie Ryan said: "The RNLI volunteers were very swift in transferring the casualty to shore as they were already at sea on exercise."

#RNLI - Enniskillen RNLI is looking for new volunteer crew members to join its search and rescue service on both Upper and Lower Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh.

The lifeboat station currently has 40 volunteers to cover its inshore service on the Lower Lough at Killadeas and the Upper Lough at Carrybridge but is now calling on new volunteers to come forward and find out how they can get involved and help the station to continue to save lives on inland waterways.

And to that end, the station will be hosting an open evening at the new lifeboat station at Carrybridge next Thursday 29 October for all interested candidates to learn more.

Enniskillen RNLI was established in May 2001 and became the charity’s first inland lifeboat station. Today, a great team spirit between Enniskillen’s management, crew and committee members creates an efficient and professional service on the Lough Erne waterway, which works closely with other emergency services to keep water users safe.

Last year, Enniskillen RNLI launched 59 times and brought 57 people to safety.

Now, Jimmy Dundas, Enniskillen RNLI lifeboat operations manager on Lower Lough Erne, is calling on any volunteers who may be interested to come along to the station on Thursday evening and find out more.

"We are looking for anyone aged 17 years and over who is willing to offer some of their free time to join what I believe to be, one of the most exhilarating and rewarding voluntary services that is out there," he says.

"Every volunteer receives first class training from the RNLI and learns new skills which can benefit them in many walks of life. Lifeboat crew members need to have a reasonable level of fitness, have good eyesight and not be colour blind.

"Anyone who would like to volunteer but feels they would not meet the requirements for lifeboat crew should in no way be put off, as shore crew also play an essential role in the launch and recovery of the lifeboat when it goes on service."

Anyone who feels they have the time and commitment to volunteer for the charity, which is on call 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, is asked to email Jimmy at [email protected].

Alternatively, prospective volunteers can come along to the station’s open evening from 7pm on Thursday 29 October at Carrybridge lifeboat station.

#RNLI - Organisers of the Athlone River Festival and Food Village have presented a cheque for €850 to Lough Ree RNLI.

The Athlone River Festival & Food Village took place on 12-13 September and included myriad activities showcasing Athlone’s culinary, entertainment and leisure amenities.

The event was a huge success, with over 4,000 people attending the revival of the festival, last held 20 years ago.

Lough Ree RNLI and Athlone SubAqua took part in the event with a river rescue demonstration, and Lough Ree volunteer crew members also built a raft, which they entered in the raft race.

The ‘Oysters, Guinness & Jazz’ installation, sponsored by John O’Sullivan (Hodson Bay Group) and Alan McCabe (Guinness), set a celebratory tone for the event and raised €850 for the lifeboat, which they presented to the crew at the quay wall beside Sean’s Bar on 6 October.

Lough Ree RNLI relies entirely on charitable donations to meet its running costs. Damien Delaney, Lough Ree RNLI lifeboat operations manager, said: "It’s good supporters like John, Alan and the local community that enable the lifeboat crews to respond to calls when they are needed, and we are grateful for their generous support."

Lough Ree RNLI is also holding a Halloween Party and Open Day on Saturday 31 October from 12 noon to 3.30pm. Wear your costume and join the lifeboat crew for some Halloween fun and games for all at Coosan Point.

For more visit the Lough Ree RNLI Facebook page HERE.

#RNLI - Union Hall RNLI was paged at 6.31am this morning (Thursday 15 October) to reports of a flashing strobe light south of Rabbit Island at the entrance to Glandore Harbour.

Union Hall’s inshore lifeboat Maritime Nation launched at 06.39 am to investigate after two reported sightings of a flashing light in the water, one from a member of the public and another from a member of Glandore/Toe Head Coast Guard.

On inspecting the scene, the flashing light was spotted, and turned out to be an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon).

The volunteer crew then commenced a search of the water surrounding the area. They found nothing else and returned to the lifeboat station with the EPIRB.

"You can never be too careful even at this time of year," said Jim Moloney, Union Hall RNLI deputy launch authority. "The member of the public was correct to report this sighting and no time was wasted in getting a search of the area."

#RNLI - The volunteer crew of Kinsale RNLI launched at 1.20pm on Sunday last (4 October) to assist a swimmer who got into difficulties in the water around Sandycove Island.

Valentia Coast Guard requested the crew to launch their inshore lifeboat after walkers reported a person in difficulty in rough seas. He was quickly brought to safety, assisted by another swimmer and members of the public.

The swimmer said he had been alone but two pairs of shoes were found on the slipway, leading to fears that a second person may be in the water.

Gardaí, the Old Head Coast Guard shore unit and Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 115 joined the search but no further casualties were found.

Speaking following the callout, Kinsale RNLI lifeboat operations manager John O'Gorman said: "Thankfully this swimmer was helped ashore and made a full recovery but we would urge everyone to pay particular attention to the RNLI's Respect the Water campaign.

"Irish waters are dangerously unpredictable, especially at this time of year. There are over 200 coastal drownings every year. The RNLI aims to halve that number by 2024 and the RNLI’s Respect the Water campaign will play a key role in achieving this.

"We still want you to enjoy the water, but we also want you to respect the water, acknowledge its dangers and never underestimate its power."

The RNLI urges anyone going on or in the water to let someone know where they are and when they will be back, and to carry a form of communication if at all possible.

If you do see someone in trouble, please do not enter the water to assist unless you are a trained lifesaver. Always dial 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.

#RNLI - Volunteers from Lough Ree RNLI were called to assist two people last Wednesday afternoon (30 September) after their motor cruiser ran aground on a shoal near Green Island on Lough Ree.

The crew was requested to launch their inshore lifeboat The Eric Rowse at 12.30pm following a report that the 42ft cruiser was aground west of Killinure Point.

Launching to the scene within minutes, the lifeboat crew found that no one was in any immediate danger and there was no damage to the boat.

Weather conditions at the time were described as bright with a Force 2 south-easterly gentle breeze and calm waters.

The crew set up a towline and moved the vessel into safe waters. Under their own power, the couple then proceeded towards Athlone.

Speaking following the rescue, lifeboat helm Tom Bradbury said: "There are a lot of shallow areas and rocky shoals on Lough Ree which can catch even the most experienced of sailors out.

"We would always encourage people taking to the lake to locate the next navigation marker every time you pass one as good practice and if you get into difficulty to request help as this couple sensibly did on this occasion."

Later that same afternoon, Ballycotton RNLI was launched to a kitesurfer who got into difficulty near Ballycotton Lighthouse.

The all-weather lifeboat and its volunteer crew was launched at 2.44pm in choppy seas with swells of up to two metres following a call from a nearby observer who spotted the kitesurfer in difficulty.

The kitesurfer was blown onto nearby rocks where they waited for assistance from the Ballycotton RNLI.

Speaking following the callout, coxswain Eolan Walsh said: "The kite surfer was lucky that a nearby observer spotted them in difficulty. We would always encourage anyone going on the water to carry a means of communication in case of emergency."

#RNLI - Valentia's lifeboat station received a €10,000 donation from Star Wars producers during their recent film shoot on Skellig Michael.

As The Irish Times reports, the RNLI station's operations manager Richard Foran confirmed to a local paper that the lump sum came as "a complete surprise. But I think the lifeboat came to their minds because of what they were doing."

The good news comes after some controversy earlier this week over confirmed 'repairs' on Skellig Michael after the week-long film shoot on the sensitive Unesco World Heritage site.

Filming was delayed at the start of the shoot a fortnight ago due to high winds and rough seas common around the weather-worn island.

#RNLI - RNLI volunteers aboard Donaghadee’s all-weather lifeboat Saxon launched on Tuesday night (29 September) to search for a family’s pet dog which was reported to have been cut off by the tide at Millisle on the Ards Peninsula.

Coxswain Philip McNamara and his crew took the decision to launch after a request from Belfast Coastguard at 9.30pm and were on the water within 10 minutes.

When they reached the area, the crew launched a smaller inflatable craft, designed for inshore work, and conducted a search of the shoreline in darkness.

"We could find no trace of the dog and hope that it reached safety," said McNamara. "There is always the possibility that someone will enter the water to save a family pet and that means there is a risk of them drowning. The RNLI is here to save lives at sea no matter what the circumstances might be."

The launch came just a day after the Donaghadee crew spent eight hours afloat as part of a major search operation for a missing kayaker, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

Elsewhere, Skerries RNLI towed a fishing boat with four men on board to safety on Sunday (27 September) after a passing yacht alerted the lifeboat that the vessel was in difficulty.

While out on routine Sunday morning training some two miles northeast of Skerries, helm Eoin Grimes and crew members Peter Kennedy and AJ Hughes were called into action after learning from the skipper of a passing yacht that a fishing boat nearby had suffered engine failure.

The fishing vessel, which had four men on board, was taken under tow by the lifeboat and towed to the safety of Balbriggan Harbour, where they had set out from. Conditions at the time were calm with a Force 1 to 2 southerly wind.

Speaking after the callout, Skerries RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer Gerry Canning said: "We would urge anyone going to sea to ensure that have adequate safety equipment on board and a means of contacting the shore should they experience any difficulty."