Search & Rescue, Water Safety - News from the Marine Safety Agencies
Irish Coast Guard Says Fixed Wing Aircraft in Solo Sailor Search Tasked by British Authorities
25th May 2022 Coastguard
The Irish Coast Guard has said that a fixed-wing aircraft assisting in the search for a solo sailor participating in the OSAR transatlantic race last weekend was despatched by the British authorities. It was responding to queries about whether the…
Baltimore Lifeboat Assists Solo Sailor After Motor Yacht Prop Gets Caught on Pot Line
23rd May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats
Baltimore RNLI was called out to provide assistance to a yacht with one person onboard that got into difficulty off the coast of the West Cork town on Saturday evening (21 May). The volunteer lifeboat crew launched their inshore lifeboat…
Achill Island RNLI Rescue Lone Sailor in 14 Hour Overnight Operation to Broken Down Yacht 40 Miles West of Achill
23rd May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats
Achill Island RNLI were involved in a 14 hour rescue overnight, (Sunday/Monday 22/23 May), to a lone sailor on board a yacht which had lost power almost 40 nautical miles west of Achill Island. The volunteer crew were requested to…
New Survey Finds Half of the Irish Public Say They Are Not Attuned to Water Safety as Dublin Port Company Launch New Campaign Ahead of Busy Season
23rd May 2022 Water Safety
Dublin Port Company (DPC) has today launched a new water safety awareness campaign, bringing comedy stars Darren Conway and Joe McGucken aboard to help spread the important message. The campaign is being launched ahead of the bank holiday to help…
Crowds gathered recently at Bangor Marina on Belfast Lough for the second open evening to be held by the charity Safer Waters. Safer Waters is a unique service in Northern Ireland, established in 2020 to provide a Safety Boat service…
Donaghadee RNLI Lifeboat Helps Yacht Taking On Water, Second Call Out In A Week
20th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats
Donaghadee RNLI Lifeboat was launched on Thursday 19 May, to assist a yacht taking water onboard approximately 12 miles North East of Bangor, County Down. The volunteer crew of Donaghadee Lifeboat were requested to launch by Belfast Coastguard on Thursday…
The Irish Coast Guard is leading a “large-scale maritime exercise” off the Donegal coast today (Wednesday). The exercise, called “Blue Hills”, will test major incident plans, it says. It will also focus on the operational capability and co-ordination of the…
Lough Ree RNLI Lifeboat Station Welcomes First Visitors to New Facility
17th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats
During a busy first month at the new RNLI lifeboat station at Coosan Point volunteer crew guided visitors from near and far through the state of the art facility in the first public tours of the base. The panoramic view…
The European Commission says it has approved a €5 million Irish scheme to support "charity operators" of helicopter emergency medical services in Ireland affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The aid will not exceed €2.3 million per beneficiary; and will be…
Helvick Head RNLI assists four People in Broken Down Speedboat off Dungarvan
17th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats
Helvick Head RNLI came to the aid of four sailors on Sunday evening (15 May) after they got into difficulty and needed assistance in the Gold Coast area of Dungarvan. With mild easterly winds and calm seas, the volunteer crew…
Irish Coast Guard Training Exercise in Galway Bay Deferred Until Resources Permit (Updated)
17th May 2022 Coastguard
A planned exercise to simulate searching for a missing paddleboarder in Galway Bay has been rescheduled to a later date. The simulated mission involving Irish Coast Guard helicopters and shore units, the RNLI and the Marine Institute was due to take place…
Clifden RNLI Bring Their New ‘Launch a Memory’ Lifeboat St. Christopher Home to an Emotional Welcome
15th May 2022 RNLI Lifeboats
Clifden RNLI’s new all-weather Shannon class lifeboat arrived to an emotional welcome from crowds gathered in the Connemara community to see it complete its week-long voyage home from the charity’s All Weather lifeboat centre in Poole. As Afloat reported earlier,…
New Book on True Stories of Irish Air–Sea Rescues and the Loss of R116 is Published
15th May 2022 Book Review
On 13 March 2017, the Rescue 116 crew of Capt. Dara Fitzpatrick, Capt. Mark Duffy, Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith took off from Dublin airport just after 11 p.m. for a medical evacuation off the west coast of Ireland. The…
On Saturday afternoon, 14 May, while on exercise in Cork Harbour, Crosshaven RNLI volunteers were tasked by the Coast Guard to a 32’ yacht with suspected electrical fire on board and mechanical difficulties. The lifeboat with David Venner, Clare Morgan,…
Lough Derg RNLI has hailed as a great success its first ‘Lap the Lake’ charity cycle. The local lifesaving charity’s fundraising branch organised the 130km cycle around Lough Derg for last Saturday 8 May, which saw 250 cyclists take part…
The volunteer crew of the Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat was called into action on Friday afternoon 13th May to assist two male surfers in difficulty at Rossnowlagh Beach in County Donegal. Just after 3:35 pm a number of 999 emergency calls were…
