The Howth RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew sprang into action on Monday evening, launching both of their lifeboats to assist in a multi-agency incident near the Baily Lighthouse. The Coast Guard had requested the inshore lifeboat to respond to reports of an individual stranded at the base of cliffs close to the lighthouse. The Dublin Fire Brigade and the Howth Coast Guard unit were also involved in the operation.
Upon arrival, the lifeboat crew located a man who had fallen while out walking the previous evening. He could not call for help, and had spent the night and the day stranded on the cliff, very close to the high water point. The man was visibly wet, cold, and unable to move due to injuries, but was conscious and able to communicate with the crew.
The crew assisted an advanced paramedic from Dublin Fire Brigade in assessing the man’s injuries, and decided to take him by sea to an ambulance. As a potential injury was suspected, the Howth all-weather lifeboat was launched for the extraction.
The all-weather lifeboat, with five crew members on board, arrived within minutes. The helm of the inshore lifeboat held the boat steady while the two crew members, assisted by a member of the Coast Guard unit and the advanced paramedic, brought the casualty on board on a stretcher. The inshore lifeboat then made its way to the all-weather lifeboat, and the casualty and the advanced paramedic were transferred across. The all-weather lifeboat proceeded to Howth Lifeboat Station, where the casualty was handed over to the ambulance crew.
Fin Goggin, a Howth RNLI lifeboat crew member, expressed her relief that the incident had a positive outcome. She noted that the man had been exposed to the elements for close to 24 hours, and had he fallen any further, he could have ended up in the water. Goggin added that these types of rescues from rocks and cliffs form a regular part of their training, and urged anyone who sees someone in difficulty on or close to the water to dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.
