#rnli – Three RNLI lifeboats from Northern Ireland and three from the Isle of Man took part in a major maritime exercise fifteen miles off the coast of Northern Ireland on Saturday (3 August 2013) to test the effectiveness and familiarisation of search and rescue techniques with multiple lifeboats over a large scale area. Belfast Coastguard coordinated the exercise from their Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Bangor.

The scenario involved the rapid sinking of a small passenger vessel with 30 people onboard. The lifeboats tasked to respond came from Donaghadee, Portaferry and Newcastle in Northern Ireland and Peel, Port St Mary and Port Erin on the Isle of Man.

The role of the casualties were played by lifeboat crew, search and rescue mannequins and numbered oranges. The oranges added an extra challenge for the lifeboat crews as they can be quite difficult to locate in large open seas and really test the search techniques of the volunteer lifeboat crews.

The exercise started just before 9am and continued until 12.45pm. Both all weather and inshore RNLI lifeboats took part in the scenario with a total of 34 lifeboat crew participating. Conditions on the day were challenging with a strong south west wind and moderate to rough seas.

Commenting on the exercise Gareth Morrison RNLI Divisional Operations Manager said, "These major search and rescue scenarios are of huge importance to the RNLI. Our lifeboat crews never stop training for every scenario and outcome. This weekend was an opportunity to have six lifeboat crews from different areas, work together in the event off a major incident involving a large number of casualties. These types of callouts are sadly not uncommon and every exercise to prepare the volunteer crews is welcome. "

Donaghadee RNLI Coxswain Philip McNamara who took part in the exercise added, "This was a great opportunity to work with five other RNLI lifeboats in realistic and challenging conditions. We train every week in waters normally more local to Donaghadee so this exercise allowed my crew and I to train in a less familiar environment.

Newcastle RNLI Coxswain Mark Poland also commented, "This scenario is one we hope we never have to respond to, yet it's vital we are prepared. Conditions were difficult at times - but that made it even more realistic. Every casualty was located and recovered onboard one of the six lifeboats."

The RNLI recently responded to a major incident off the Cork coast where a tall ship struck rocks and thirty people, most of them teenagers, had to be rescued quickly. Four RNLI lifeboats responded with two taking all thirty safely off the stricken vessel.

#rnli – On Sunday evening (4th August 2013), Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat was launched to a rib which suffered engine failure off Inishmurray island.

The rib with 2 people on board suffered engine failure and made contact with another vessel who in turn called out Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat for assistance. The lifeboat paged at 18.57 launched in 4 minutes and headed directly for the casualty vessel, arriving on scene around 20 minutes later.

The Sligo based helicopter Rescue 118 offered assistance by releasing a smoke signal to direct the lifeboat to the rib. On reaching the rib, one of the volunteer crew of Bundoran RNLI transferred to it and assisted the the occupants onto the lifeboat and remained on board to assist with the towing of the vessel to Mullaghmore Harbour.

The lifeboat then completed the tow and returned to base.

#RNLI - Two men were rescued in the early hours of this morning (Sunday 4 August) after their small boat got into difficulty off the pier at Courtmacsherry Harbour in West Cork.

Fourteen crew of the Courtmacsherry RNLI all-weather lifeboat station responded immediately to the Mayday call at 4.25am and the two casualties were pulled ashore from the water after the small boat which they were in capsized.


Following an 999 call from two local people, the Irish Coast Guard immediately tasked the Courtmacsherry lifeboat and the Shannon-based coastguard rescue helicopter.

Within minutes the small craft had overturned and the two young men on board were thrown into the water. Without delay, crew members and helpers succeeded in getting a lifebelt from the pierced to one of the casualties, while the other man was helped ashore at the pierhead.


The two men, both from Cork City, were said to be "shocked and traumatised" by their ordeal after they were brought back to the lifeboat station in Courtmacsherry to be assessed by station crew and officers. Conditions at sea this morning were good with little wind.

Courtmacsherry RNLI lifeboat operations manager Brian O'Dwyer said the men "had a very lucky escape in the early hours of this morning" and praised the fast response of the lifeboat crew members, local helpers and emergency services for "certainly averting a potential life threatening situation".

#RNLI - The Crosshaven RNLI volunteer crew were paged in the early hours of Saturday 3 August to reports of a missing person separated from friends at Salve Marina near Cork Harbour.

The lifeboat, with Alan Venner, Kieran Coniry and Denis Cronin on board, was launched along with Crosshaven coastguard and the Irish Coast Guard's Rescue 115 helicopter, to made multiple searches of all the marinas and the Owenboy River, until reports were received from Gardaí that the missing person had been located at his home address.

The lifeboat was then stood down and returned to station, refuelled, washed, and ready for service at 5am.

Commenting on the service, lifeboat station manager Alan Barton said: "Thankfully, this did not end in a tragedy. The friends of the missing person took the correct course of action by calling us – a false alarm with good intent."

#rnli – As the August Bank Holiday weekend gets underway, the RNLI, the charity that saves lives at sea, is encouraging anyone thinking of using the water, to bear safety in mind.

Whether the sun shines or the rain pours, RNLI volunteers who are located at 44 lifeboat stations across Ireland will be on call and prepared to help anyone should the need arise.

The RNLI is committed to preventing tragedies in and around the water by raising awareness and increasing safe behaviour.

Last year, Irish lifeboats launched 17 times over the August Bank Holiday weekend. These included 13 call outs to boating incidents and four incidents involving people in the water or who were cut off by the tide.

Kevin Rahill, RNLI Sea Safety Manager for Ireland, said: 'We want everyone using the water this weekend to enjoy themselves without getting into any difficulty. Being aware of the dangers and preparing yourself before heading out, can greatly reduce the risks of having an accident'.

Before going afloat, the RNLI encourages that you always wear a properly fitted and serviced lifejacket.

'Tell someone where you are going,' Kevin continued, 'who you are going with and what time you can be expected back and let them know what to do if you don't report back.
'Remember to check the weather, tides and sea state before you go and if you are in doubt ask someone locally. Avoid strong tides and currents that will take you out to sea. Check your engine and fuel before setting off. Run the engine before departing to warm it up and make sure you carry spare fuel. A useful rule of thumb is the one third rule – one third out, one third back and one third to spare. And, remember, coming back into a strong tide or wind will use up more fuel. You should always wear the killcord with an outboard engine where it is fitted.
'Remember to have a reliable means of raising the alarm if you get into difficulty such as a marine VHF, distress flares, personal location beacon or EPIRB. A mobile phone might not have coverage or enough battery life in an emergency'.

For anyone who wants to go fishing from the shore, the RNLI has the following advice.
Knowing the times of high and low tide will help avoid being cut off by a rising tide. Windy weather will create waves which can wash you off a rock or pier.
Spend a while observing your chosen fishing spot before venturing down. Watch for waves, if the tide is rising or falling.
Avoid exposed areas where there are breaking waves.
Keep an eye out for wash from passing boats which might create larger waves.
Wear a lifejacket. If you do get washed in or fall in, it will help keep you afloat.

If you are in danger, or see someone else in trouble, call the Coast Guard on VHF Channel 16, or phone 112 or 999 and ask for the Coast Guard

#RNLI - Two red flare sighting in recent days prompted launches by the Baltimore RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew - the first from the new station at Bullpoint.

On Saturday last (27 July) a red flare was reported after 8pm in the area of Inisbeg on the Ilen River, near Skibbereen in West Cork.

Helm Micheal Cottrell and his crew carried out a search as far upriver as the rowing club, making inquiries with vessels on the river. With no trouble found, the search was stood down and the lifeboat returned to the station at 9.10pm.
 


Then on Tuesday night (30 July) the alarm was raised when a member of the public reported sighting a red flare to the southwest of Tragumna Beach just before 11pm.

The all-weather lifeboat proceeded to Tragumna Bay, where a local fishing boat had already begun a search. Coxswain Kieran Cotter spoke by mobile phone with the observer of the flare, and the lifeboat searched west along the shoreline towards Tragumna Beach in response to the observer's directions.

By midnight nothing had been found, and the search was stood down as all indications were that this was most likely a firework or chinese lantern launched from the headland southwest of Tragumna.
 


Baltimore RNLI lifeboat operations manager Tom Bushe commented that he was "delighted with how the new carriage launching system worked" and thanked the volunteer crew and shore crew for all their hard work in learning new procedures.

Furthermore he advised that if people are setting off fireworks or releasing chinese lanterns in coastal areas to notify the coastguard of their intent.
 


Volunteer crew on board the inshore lifeboat were helm Micheal Cottrell, Tadhg Collins and Connor Dempsey, with shore crew comprising Jerry Smith, Rianne Smith and Seamus O'Driscoll. Volunteer RNLI crew on board the all-weather lifeboat were coxswain Kieran Cotter, mechanic Cathal Cottrell, Jerry Smith, Sean McCarthy, Tadhg Collins, Shane McSweeeny and Eoin Ryan.

#RNLI - Enniskillen RNLI will host the revived Castle Island charity swim and family fun morning in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh on Sunday 11 August.

The swim traditionally took place each year with the support of the Blake family.

And Enniskillen RNLI have hailed as a "great honour" the opportunity for its local volunteer crew to revive the swim in association with sponsors Blakes the Hollow, Western Cars and The Print Factory.



The 750m swim on Lough Erne is open to swimmers of all ages either individually or in small groups such as youth clubs, sports clubs or simply groups of friends.

Enniskillen RNLI says the emphasis for this swim is for everyone to have fun and for that reason, if required, novice swimmers may complete the swim in a well-fitted lifejacket or buoyancy aid but must be confident that they can complete the distance. 



Lifeboat crew not swimming themselves will also be present on the day to provide safety cover for the event.



Registration for the swim will take place at 12 noon on the day, followed by a short safety briefing. Sponsorship forms are available by email or can be collected at The Wig & Crown, Blakes the Hollow and Western Cars. For further information contact Adrian at 07974 730456.

In other news, RTÉ Radio 1’s The Business will broadcast live from Bundoran RNLI lifeboat station this Saturday morning 3 August.

The focus of the show will be on the business of Bundoran being a seaside resort - a reputation the Donegal town has enjoyed for more than two centuries. 

Speaking ahead of his visit, programme host George Lee said: "I'm really looking forward to broadcasting from Bundoran, particularly on a bank holiday weekend. I'm hoping to experience lots of surfing, slots machines and ice-creams.

"On the show we'll be looking back at the heyday of the dancehalls, we'll be joined by Bundoran regular Ramona Nicholas from Dragon's Den, we'll be speaking to two men making money from oil exploration and lots, lots more."


The Business is broadcast Saturday morning at 10am on RTÉ Radio 1.

#RNLI - Kilmore Quay RNLI has assisted a fisherman after his boat got into difficulty off the Wexford coast, while Wicklow RNLI attended to a fishing boat in trouble south of Wicklow Harbour.

The Kilmore Quay all-weather lifeboat was requested to launch at 9.04am on Monday morning (29 July) to go to the assistance of a local lobster boat with one person on board,

The fishing boat had fouled its propeller while hauling pots a mile to the south-east of the Little Saltee Island.



Weather conditions at the time were blowing a light southerly breeze and there was good visibility.

When the lifeboat arrived on scene, a tow was set up and the vessel was brought safely to the harbour at Kilmore Quay.

Shortly afterwards, Wicklow RNLI launched at 9.30am in response to a call for assistance from a fishing vessel in difficulties six miles south of Wicklow Harbour.

The vessel with three crew was fishing north of Brittas Bay beach when a rope got fouled in the propeller and she lost steering. The skipper contacted the coastguard for assistance.



Wicklow town's lifeboat, under the command of coxswain Nick Keogh, located the vessel drifting close to the Wolf Rock 20 minutes after launching.

A towline was quickly established and the stricken vessel was towed back to Wicklow Harbour, where she was secured safely alongside the East Pier at 10.40am.



The crew on the call out were coxswain Nick Keogh, mechanic Brendan Copeland, Tommy McAulay, Kevin Rahill, Carol Flahive, Paul Sillery and Graham Fitzgerald.

#RNLI - A drifting yacht with three people on board was towed to safety by Wicklow RNLI on Friday morning (26 July). SEE VIDEO BELOW

The volunteer lifeboat crew was alerted by pager shortly before 8am after the Irish Coast Guard received a call for assistance from a yacht in difficulties off Wicklow Head.



The lifeboat, under the command of coxswain Nick Keogh, was alongside the yacht 20 minutes after launching.

Crew member Ciaran Doyle was put on board the boat to assist with establishing a tow line. He remained onboard the yacht as it was towed into Wicklow Harbour.

The boat with the three people was secured safely alongside the east pier at 9.20am.



Weather conditions in the area at the time were described as wind south west force two, and the sea state was calm.



Speaking after the incident, Keogh said: "We located the 14-metre yacht drifting five miles south east of Wicklow Head. The yacht had lost engine power and with the light winds they were unable to make any headway." 



The crew on the call out were coxswain Nick Keogh, mechanic Brendan Copeland, Ciaran Doyle, Dave O'Leary, Carol Flahive, Tommy Murphy, Alan Goucher and Peter McCann.

#RNLI - The volunteer lifeboat crew of the Courtown lifeboat launched last Wednesday evening (24 July) to a report of a small fishing boat that was overdue on its time to return to Cahore Pier.

The Courtown RNLI lifeboat, Cahore Inshore Rescue, the Rosslare RNLI lifeboat and the Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117 were all tasked at 7pm to search the area of Cahore on the north Wexford coast, where the boat was last reported fishing.

After searching for some time, the small fishing boat made contact to say they had beached their boat some eight miles north of Cahore Pier at Kilgorman Beach. Both men were safe and well and all rescue services were stood down.


The Courtown lifeboat has since urged all boat users carry a proper means of communication - ideally a VHF radio - and to keep friends and family up to date on their location, especially if they decide to change their location.

That same evening, Rosslare Harbour RNLI was involved in a search for two fishermen after they reported getting into difficulty off the Wexford coast.

The volunteer crew launched their all-weather lifeboat at 7.30pm to assist in the search following a request from the coastguard to attend a fishing boat that was reported to be taking on water.



Weather conditions at the time were described as good, with a southerly force three wind.



The fishing boat had set out from Cahore Harbour before getting into trouble. The two crew raised the alarm using a mobile telephone.



Rosslare Harbour RNLI and lifeboats from Courtown RNLI and Cahore, along with the Rescue 117 helicopter, joined in the search.  



At 7.50pm, Rescue 117 located the two fishermen safe and well and their vessel on the beach at Glasgorman, near Cahore.



Speaking after the call-out, Rosslare Harbour RNLI deputy volunteer lifeboat press officer Jamie Ryan said: "The emergency services responded swiftly and were on scene quickly.

"The two fishermen did the right thing by raising the alarm when they got into difficulty and thankfully they were both found safely ashore."