A person was airlifted to hospital following a suspected shark bite off the Waterford coast on Tuesday afternoon, in a multi-agency rescue involving Ballycotton and Youghal RNLI and the Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117. Ballycotton RNLI was requested to launch by Dublin Coast Guard at 4.16 pm on August 11 after a report involving a five-metre pleasure craft carrying five people approximately four miles off Ram Head, Ardmore.
The station’s Trent-class all-weather lifeboat The Austin Lidbury launched at 4.30 pm, with calm seas and good visibility reported. When the Ballycotton crew arrived at approximately 5.10 pm, Youghal RNLI and Rescue 117 were already at the casualty vessel. The two lifeboats remained on standby while the injured person was winched from the pleasure craft by Rescue 117 and evacuated to Cork University Hospital for emergency treatment.
The four remaining people aboard did not require assistance, and the pleasure craft subsequently returned safely to Dungarvan. Both lifeboats were then stood down.
Ballycotton RNLI returned to harbour at approximately 6.15 pm, where The Austin Lidbury was refuelled before its volunteer crew continued with their scheduled weekly training session.
Ballycotton RNLI coxswain Eolan Walsh described the operation as a “well-coordinated multi-agency response”.
“This was a well-coordinated multi-agency response, with Ballycotton RNLI, Youghal RNLI and Rescue 117 working together to ensure that the casualty received urgent medical assistance as quickly and safely as possible,” Walsh said. “Our crew were pleased to be able to support the operation and remain on scene while the casualty was transferred for emergency treatment, and we wish the casualty a full recovery.”
Walsh also urged those heading to sea to wear properly fitted lifejackets or personal flotation devices, carry a reliable means of communication and ensure somebody ashore knows their plans.
“If you get into difficulty at sea, call for help early — contacting the Coast Guard at 999 or 112 can make all the difference,” he said.
The Ballycotton RNLI crew involved were Eolan Walsh, Alan Cott, Conor Philpott, Eolan Breathnach, Áine Flynn, Stephen Sloane and Ronan Lynch.
