Courtmacsherry RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat Val Adnams was called out just after 11am on Saturday morning (18 July) when Valentia MRCC activated beepers to respond to an incident 12 miles south of the Seven Heads in West Cork.
It emerged that a diver had got into difficulties while participating in a dive in the deep waters at the wreck of the Lusitania.
Under coxswain Ken Cashman, a crew of five assembled immediately and, after being briefed on the incident, made their way to the casualty.
Also tasked was the Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 115.
As the diver required immediate care, it was decided to airlift him from the water by the helicopter and transfer him as quickly as possible to the specialised treatment centre in Galway.
The crew on Saturday’s call-out with coxswain Ken Cashman were Dave Philips, Mark John Gannon, Simon Locke, Taylor Murphy and Ian McCarthy.
Many of the crew and operations officers were at the annual fundraising coffee morning in the garden of the Lifeboat Inn in Courtmacsherry when beepers were activated.
The large crowd in attendance at the coffee morning, in glorious sunshine, got a superb view of the lifeboat as it made its way out the harbour on its way to help others in distress at sea.
Courtmacsherry Lifeboat Station launch authority Vincent O’Donovan praised the quick response of all crew members: “It was an eventful morning on sea and land, with the station’s best wishes being extended to the casualty today.
“Great thanks are due to the station fundraising committee, to David and Martin of the Lifeboat Inn, and to the large crowd that attended, who helped make this morning’s fundraiser such a great success.”
