It’s been a busy and productive year to date for volunteers at Lough Derg RNLI, with crew passing out on training assessments and new volunteers joining the team — as well as the hugely successful fundraising Lap the Lake charity cycle organised by the Lough Derg RNLI fundraising committee.
RNLI volunteers maintain their proficiency in their lifesaving work with competence-based training modules. Volunteers at Lough Derg RNLI train twice weekly on Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings.
Recently, Oisín Higgins was successful in his crew pass-out assessments with RNLI assessor/trainer Seán Ginnelly, while Dom Sharkey has returned as an RNLI helm at the lifeboat station and was one of the team afloat for Oisín’s assessment.
Seán also assessed and passed Paraic Slattery out on his preliminary shore modules so that he can now train afloat on the lifeboat.
Lifeboat operations manager Christine O’Malley presenting Oisín Higgins with his pager
Paraic is a captain with the Irish Coast Guard’s Shannon-based helicopter Rescue 115 and has delivered an informative presentation on his role as a rescue pilot to the station team, including a discussion on the combined operations between RNLI lifeboats and the coastguard. His talk reaffirmed the required skill, commitment and training by all involved within the rescue services.
Another new recruit is Triona Breen, who has been passed out on her preliminary modules that permit her now to train with her fellow volunteers on the water.
Christine O’Malley, lifeboat operations manager at Lough Derg RNLI said: “We are hugely grateful to Seán as assessor/trainer whose teaching skills and enthusiasm have a positive impact on all volunteers at the station. Thanks too to Joe O’Donoghue, crew at Lough Derg RNLI who provided classes, resources and his valuable time to help Paraic and Triona with their studies.
“We are pleased to see the camaraderie and teamwork as established crew and helms support their fellow volunteers with their training and assessments. It means our crew are ready for whatever scenarios they meet on the water.”
Volunteers at Lough Derg RNLI welcomed Lisa Hollingum, their new area lifesaving manger (ALM), on her visit to the station to meet the crew and Operations Team. As ALM, Lisa’s role is to lead and support a team of staff and volunteers, and actively manage the safe and effective delivery of the RNLI’s lifesaving services.
Seán Ginnelly with trainee crew Triona Breen | Credit: RNLI/Eleanor Hooker
Earlier this year, volunteers from Lough Derg RNLI travelled to the Irish Coast Guard’s Marine Rescue Coordination Centre on a pre-arranged visit. Members of the station also took the opportunity to visit Valentia RNLI and to see around the all-weather lifeboat and station.
Crew and members of Lough Derg RNLI operations team met watch officers Brian Shiels, John Geoghegan and Liam Jenkinson, who showed the crew round the centre and explained their important role maintaining a listening watch on marine distress frequencies.
Watch officers also produce and broadcast Radio Navigational Warnings and notify mariners of navigational hazards. They task and coordinate search and rescue missions with declared search-and-rescue (SAR) assets such as RNLI lifeboats, Sikorsky helicopters and the coastguard’s volunteer land and water units. The rescue coordination centres process calls that come from members of the public through the 112/999 emergency call system.
“It was an important visit that forged even closer ties with our colleagues in the Irish Coast Guard,” Christine said. “Members of the station also took the opportunity to visit Valentia RNLI and were given a warm welcome.”
