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Clogherhead Lifeboat Comes to Aid of Fisherman After Razor Boat Gets Into Difficulty

26th September 2024
File image of Clogherhead RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat
File image of Clogherhead RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat Credit: RNLI/Clogherhead

Clogherhead RNLI came to the aid of a fisherman on Wednesday (25 September) after their razor boat broke down nine miles north of Clogherhead in Co Louth.

The volunteer crew were requested by the Dublin Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre to go to the fisherman’s aid shortly before 8am after they reported the boat’s engine had failed.

Under coxswain Tomas Whelahan with mechanic Barry Sharkey and crew members Brian Sharkey, Carol Holcroft, Derek Shevlin and Paraic Costell onboard, the all-weather Shannon class lifeboat Michael O’Brien was launched on what was a crisp autumn morning with calm sea conditions.

On arriving on scene near Gyles Quay on the Cooley Peninsula, nine miles north of Clogherhead, the crew proceeded to assess the situation.

The fisherman was found to be safe and well but due to the boat having sustained engine failure and unable to make any safe onward progress, it was decided that the best course of action was to establish a towline and bring the fishing vessel to the nearest safe place, at Port Oriel.

Speaking following the call-out, Whelahan­ said: “This was a straightforward call-out in good weather conditions and we were happy to help the fisherman as the boat had lost all power and they wouldn’t have made it back to shore safely unaided.

“We would remind anyone planning a trip to sea to go prepared checking weather and tide times, ensuring your vessel is maintained and has enough fuel for the trip, and that you wear a lifejacket or suitable flotation device for your activity.

“Let someone on the shore know where you are going and when you are due back and carry a means of communication should you get into difficulty. If you do get into trouble or see someone else in need of help, call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.”

Published in RNLI Lifeboats
Afloat.ie Team

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Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) in Ireland Information

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity to save lives at sea in the waters of UK and Ireland. Funded principally by legacies and donations, the RNLI operates a fleet of lifeboats, crewed by volunteers, based at a range of coastal and inland waters stations. Working closely with UK and Ireland Coastguards, RNLI crews are available to launch at short notice to assist people and vessels in difficulties.

RNLI was founded in 1824 and is based in Poole, Dorset. The organisation raised €210m in funds in 2019, spending €200m on lifesaving activities and water safety education. RNLI also provides a beach lifeguard service in the UK and has recently developed an International drowning prevention strategy, partnering with other organisations and governments to make drowning prevention a global priority.

Irish Lifeboat Stations

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland, with an operational base in Swords, Co Dublin. Irish RNLI crews are tasked through a paging system instigated by the Irish Coast Guard which can task a range of rescue resources depending on the nature of the emergency.

Famous Irish Lifeboat Rescues

Irish Lifeboats have participated in many rescues, perhaps the most famous of which was the rescue of the crew of the Daunt Rock lightship off Cork Harbour by the Ballycotton lifeboat in 1936. Spending almost 50 hours at sea, the lifeboat stood by the drifting lightship until the proximity to the Daunt Rock forced the coxswain to get alongside and successfully rescue the lightship's crew.

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895.

FAQs

While the number of callouts to lifeboat stations varies from year to year, Howth Lifeboat station has aggregated more 'shouts' in recent years than other stations, averaging just over 60 a year.

Stations with an offshore lifeboat have a full-time mechanic, while some have a full-time coxswain. However, most lifeboat crews are volunteers.

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895

In 2019, 8,941 lifeboat launches saved 342 lives across the RNLI fleet.

The Irish fleet is a mixture of inshore and all-weather (offshore) craft. The offshore lifeboats, which range from 17m to 12m in length are either moored afloat, launched down a slipway or are towed into the sea on a trailer and launched. The inshore boats are either rigid or non-rigid inflatables.

The Irish Coast Guard in the Republic of Ireland or the UK Coastguard in Northern Ireland task lifeboats when an emergency call is received, through any of the recognised systems. These include 999/112 phone calls, Mayday/PanPan calls on VHF, a signal from an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) or distress signals.

The Irish Coast Guard is the government agency responsible for the response to, and co-ordination of, maritime accidents which require search and rescue operations. To carry out their task the Coast Guard calls on their own resources – Coast Guard units manned by volunteers and contracted helicopters, as well as "declared resources" - RNLI lifeboats and crews. While lifeboats conduct the operation, the coordination is provided by the Coast Guard.

A lifeboat coxswain (pronounced cox'n) is the skipper or master of the lifeboat.

RNLI Lifeboat crews are required to follow a particular development plan that covers a pre-agreed range of skills necessary to complete particular tasks. These skills and tasks form part of the competence-based training that is delivered both locally and at the RNLI's Lifeboat College in Poole, Dorset

 

While the RNLI is dependent on donations and legacies for funding, they also need volunteer crew and fund-raisers.

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