Achill Island RNLI went to the assistance of a man on Clare Island off the coast of County Mayo, requiring medical evacuation on Monday, 23 January. The request from the Irish Coast Guard was the first call out for the year for the volunteer lifeboat crew and their all-weather lifeboat, the ‘Sam and Ada Moody’.
With moderate sea conditions to contend with, as well as patchy mist and fog, the lifeboat made its way to Clare Island shortly before 2 pm. The casualty had been assessed and treated by the island nurse, and he was then transferred to the care of the lifeboat crew, who brought him to Roonagh Pier, southeast of Clare Island, for onward transport to Galway University Hospital. The lifeboat then headed in a northerly direction across Clew Bay to Achill Island, passing Clare Island again on its left on the return journey.
Speaking after the call out, Maria Kilbane, Achill Island RNLI’s volunteer Deputy Launch Authority, said: ‘Achill Island RNLI has always had a very close relationship with the people on our local islands, including Clare Island. Our crew are always happy to assist, and we wish the casualty well with his recovery.’