It was a busy week of casualty care training and crew assessments for the lifeboat volunteers at Lough Swilly RNLI in Co Donegal.
On Wednesday evening (20 May), two crew members successfully completed their Tier 2 pass-outs, just days after two volunteer helms achieved their helm revalidation.
The pass-outs included time at sea in Lough Swilly on the inshore lifeboat Davdot and time ashore with Sean Ginnelly, coastal lifeboat trainer. Dawn Lambe and Barry Nixon completed their inshore lifeboat Tier and Barry Johnson and Barry Stevenson also completed their helm revalidation earlier in the week.
For the volunteer crew, training is a continuous, structured programme over hundreds of hours, covering boat-handling, sea and rescue, radar, radio communications, casualty care and emergency procedures.
The average annual training cost of a crew member is €1,645 and the RNLI, as the charity that saves lives at sea, is funded by the generosity of the public.
Speaking following the assessments, Amy McCarter-Phillips, Lough Swilly RNLI volunteer lifeboat training coordinator said: “I am delighted for the crew members who completed their Tier 2 and revalidation assessments. I know that they dedicated a significant amount of time and effort in their training.”
This commitment from the volunteers was also reflected in the feedback from Sean Ginnelly, who noted “that both pass-outs and revalidations were completed to a very high standard”.
Lough Swilly RNLI’s volunteer completing a scenario-based casualty care activity on a rocky shoreline on Sunday morning 17 May | Credit: RNLI/William J Monaghan
Last Sunday (17 May), the volunteer crew spent the morning on scenario-based casualty care training, which enables them to practise in realistic, and often challenging environments, gaining valuable experience.
This training provides for intensive, high-level first aid skills designed for challenging maritime environments, with a focus on practical, hands-on scenarios—including CPR, trauma management and cold-water injuries, using specialised check cards for methodical care.
The exercise was designed to build confidence, allowing volunteers with varied backgrounds to deliver life-saving care in the most demanding conditions.
First aid scenario training supports learning gained from the certified casualty care training held at the lifeboat station every three years. Practical simulations such as these provide the crew with the opportunity to refresh their skills.
These exercises also give newer crew members an opportunity to observe how the kit and equipment are used and prepare them for the opportunity to complete the certified casualty care course, which is scheduled for Lough Swilly RNLI in the autumn.
The volunteer crew explored three different scenarios on the day and followed the session up with a debrief to share the learning across the different scenarios.
Joe Joyce, Lough Swilly RNLI lifeboat operations manager said: “When RNLI crews reach a casualty at sea or along the coastline, they often become the first medical responders on scene.
“Casualty care training ensures that every RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew member can deliver immediate, effective treatment during the vital minutes or hours before an ambulance, coastguard helicopter or other emergency service arrives.”
