Volunteer crew at Galway RNLI have taken part in a joint training exercise with medical students from the University of Galway. Ten foundation year students joined the session at the lifeboat station last week. The exercise followed an earlier visit by the RNLI crew to the Clinical Simulation facility in late 2025.
Dr Cara Egan, lecturer in Clinical Skills and Simulation, said the collaboration allows students to apply learning in real-world settings. “We were able to observe casualty care training in the lifeboat environment,” she said. “It was an excellent opportunity for our students to see how their medical training will be used when casualties are brought ashore.”
The session focused on casualty assessment and treatment in challenging offshore conditions. Students also observed how patients are transferred safely from the lifeboat to the shore and handed over to ambulance crews.
Nurse Olivia Byrne, an RNLI volunteer, led first aid exercises during the visit. She said: “The medicine students got to experience how RNLI crew assess and manage casualty care in a very different environment from hospital-based care.”
The training included demonstrations of onboard first aid equipment and search and rescue technology. The crew also outlined how communications systems support coordinated rescue operations at sea.
Byrne added: “It was a very positive experience… we hope that what they learned here will benefit them in their future careers.” Galway RNLI operates a 24-hour volunteer search-and-rescue service supported by the local community.
The station said continued collaboration with the University enhances both training and operational readiness.
