Four sailors were rescued by the Helvick Head RNLI on Friday afternoon after they experienced difficulties near Ballinacourty Lighthouse, southeast of Dungarvan.

A member of the public reported the incident to the Irish Coast Guard, who then requested the volunteer crew to launch their inshore lifeboat. The lifeboat, helmed by Joe Foley and with crew members Pat Devereux, Rian Kelly, and Michael Moore onboard, braved westerly Force 2-3 winds and mild seas to reach the scene at 2.30 pm.

Upon arrival, the crew assessed the situation and found the two male and two female casualties to be safe and well, all wearing their personal protective equipment (PPE). However, the 5-metre rigid inflatable boat (RIB) had suffered mechanical failure, prompting the decision to tow it to the nearest safe port. A tow line was established, and the boats safely returned to Helvick Head pier at 3.10 pm.

Nick Hannigan, Helvick Head RNLI Launching Authority, reminded everyone to always be prepared before heading out to sea. "Wear a lifejacket and be sure to carry a means of communication. Should you get into trouble or see someone else in difficulty, don’t hesitate and dial 999 or 112 asking for the Coast Guard," he said.

The volunteer crew of Clifden RNLI were called out on Friday morning (25 August) at 7.30am to assist a stranded yacht off Connemara.

The vessel with two sailors on board had come into difficulty to the south-west of Inishark, which is west of Inisbofin.

Both of Clifden’s lifeboats launched: the inshore Atlantic 85 helmed by Daniel Whelan with Shane Conneely and Chris Nee as crew; and the all-weather Shannon class St Christopher with John Mullen as coxswain, James Mullen, Joe Acton, Neil Gallery and Alan Kearney as crew.

They were assisted from the shore by Tom Guy, John Heffernan and Sean Mercer.

Sea conditions at the time were moderate, with Force 5 winds and good visibility.

On arriving at the scene, the crews found the sailors to be well and in good spirits however the propeller and rudder on their yacht had become badly entangled with ropes.

The lifeboat volunteers set about establishing a tow line and brought the casualty vessel and the passengers back to safety at Cleggan Harbour.

Speaking after the rescue, Mullen said: “The sailors today did the right thing in calling for assistance when they ran into difficulty and I am delighted we were able help. Our volunteer crew did a great job of ensuring a speedy, safe and successful operation this morning.

“I’d like to thank the two sailors who kindly offered to buy breakfast for the crew after we reached the shore. The breakfast was most welcome after an early start saving lives at sea.”

Newcastle RNLI’s inshore lifeboat, Eliza, and all-weather lifeboat, Leonard Kent, launched on Thursday, (24 August 2023) to assist a man who took ill on Murlough beach.

At approximately 1.40 pm, Belfast Coastguard requested assistance from Newcastle RNLI. The RNLI’s lifeguards and Coastguard teams from Newcastle and Kilkeel were already with the man providing medical assistance.

At 1.49 pm, under the helm of Lochlainn Leneghan and with crew members Trez Dennison and Ciaran Leneghan, the inshore lifeboat launched and made its way towards the beach.

The decision was made to launch the all-weather lifeboat and at 1.54 pm under the command of Coxswain Gerry McConkey, the Leonard Kent launched and travelled towards Murlough to assist. Onboard were mechanic Shane Rice, navigator Niall McMurray and crew members Andrew Lynas, Michael McDowell and Brendan Rooney.

The weather and sea conditions were fine, allowing for a short passage to the scene, with both lifeboats arriving within minutes.

The inshore lifeboat arrived first and the crew assisted RNLI lifeguards and Coastguard to stabilise the casualty. It was decided the safest way to transport the casualty was to take him onboard the inshore lifeboat and then transfer him onto the all-weather lifeboat, which was approximately 200m offshore. The casualty was then conveyed back to Newcastle lifeboat station.

At the station, the man continued to receive first aid until he was transferred in the care of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service on arrival.

Speaking following the call out, Daniel Curran, Newcastle RNLI Deputy Launching Authority, said: ‘We would like to extend our best wishes to the casualty we looked after today for a speedy recovery and thank our RNLI lifeguards and our colleagues from the Coastguard and ambulance service for what was a great multi-agency response and effort.

‘Our volunteer crew are always ready and trained for all types of callouts. And train regularly using various training scenarios where both lifeboats work together. Today was a successful operation between our volunteer crew, both those at sea and onshore, our lifeguards who work on Murlough beach and the Coastguard teams.’

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, stories from Ireland will feature in the RNLI’s new 200 Voices podcast series, which explores captivating tales from the history of the charity that saves lives at sea through to the modern day.

The first episode to feature from Ireland, this Saturday (26 August), is “Niamh Fitzpatrick Remembers One of Our Own” — a personal reflection on how after losing her sister Dara at sea in the Rescue 116 tragedy, Niamh talks about how much the RNLI means to her.

Then on Sunday (27 August) the podcast features Fr Tom Dalton, a Courtown RNLI lifeboat crew member, where the Co Wexford priest describes what is like when rescue turns into recovery in “Pulling Together”.

An event that was to change yacht racing forever, the 1979 Fastnet tragedy is the focus for “The Calm Before Force 10” on Wednesday 30 August, where Baltimore RNLI’s Kieran Cotter remembers the fateful call-out and the response to the disaster.

Later in the autumn, the series will also hear from celebrity ambassadors including musician Phil Coulter on his writing of the RNLI anthem “Home from the Sea” and former President Mary McAleese on the cross-border role of the RNLI.

Available across all podcast platforms and on the RNLI’s website, listeners can hear from survivors, supporters, volunteers, lifeguards, celebrity ambassadors, historians and many more from across Wales, England, Scotland, Ireland and beyond.

Five people were rescued from a 44ft yacht that lost its rudder while on passage from the Scilly Isles to Dungarvan on Tuesday (August 22nd).

The yacht was left powerless to steer its course and was located 10 miles south of Mine Head.

The Ballycotton RNLI all-weather Trent class lifeboat, The Austin Lidbury, and a volunteer crew were immediately dispatched following a request for assistance from the French yacht's crew. The RNLI continues to provide an on-call 24/7 search and rescue lifeboat service.

The crew arrived on the scene at 9:15 am and established that all five crew members on board the yacht were unharmed and wearing a flotation device. Due to the location of the vessel and the weather conditions, the decision was made to tow the rudderless yacht back to Ballycotton harbour. The process was slow and difficult due to a southwest gale of force 4 with a moderate swell. The yacht was safely berthed in Ballycotton pier by 1:15 pm.

Commenting on the callout, Ballycotton Deputy Coxswain Barry McDonald said, "I would especially like to thank all the crew who responded to the pager as handling a rudderless yacht is challenging, and also to the ground crew who assisted when we arrived back in the harbour." The volunteer lifeboat crew comprised of Deputy Coxswain Barry McDonald, Mechanic Adam Hussey, Navigator David Casey, and volunteers Eolan Breathnach, Cíaran Walsh, Kate Flemming, and Stephen Sloane.

David Casey was also congratulated on his first call-out as a newly qualified navigator.

The RNLI advises people to adhere to relevant water safety guidance for any water activity to ensure their safety.

It’s been a busy and productive year to date for volunteers at Lough Derg RNLI, with crew passing out on training assessments and new volunteers joining the team — as well as the hugely successful fundraising Lap the Lake charity cycle organised by the Lough Derg RNLI fundraising committee.

RNLI volunteers maintain their proficiency in their lifesaving work with competence-based training modules. Volunteers at Lough Derg RNLI train twice weekly on Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings.

Recently, Oisín Higgins was successful in his crew pass-out assessments with RNLI assessor/trainer Seán Ginnelly, while Dom Sharkey has returned as an RNLI helm at the lifeboat station and was one of the team afloat for Oisín’s assessment.

Seán also assessed and passed Paraic Slattery out on his preliminary shore modules so that he can now train afloat on the lifeboat.

Lifeboat operations manager Christine O’Malley presenting Oisín Higgins with his pager

Paraic is a captain with the Irish Coast Guard’s Shannon-based helicopter Rescue 115 and has delivered an informative presentation on his role as a rescue pilot to the station team, including a discussion on the combined operations between RNLI lifeboats and the coastguard. His talk reaffirmed the required skill, commitment and training by all involved within the rescue services.

Another new recruit is Triona Breen, who has been passed out on her preliminary modules that permit her now to train with her fellow volunteers on the water.

Christine O’Malley, lifeboat operations manager at Lough Derg RNLI said: “We are hugely grateful to Seán as assessor/trainer whose teaching skills and enthusiasm have a positive impact on all volunteers at the station. Thanks too to Joe O’Donoghue, crew at Lough Derg RNLI who provided classes, resources and his valuable time to help Paraic and Triona with their studies.

“We are pleased to see the camaraderie and teamwork as established crew and helms support their fellow volunteers with their training and assessments. It means our crew are ready for whatever scenarios they meet on the water.”

Volunteers at Lough Derg RNLI welcomed Lisa Hollingum, their new area lifesaving manger (ALM), on her visit to the station to meet the crew and Operations Team. As ALM, Lisa’s role is to lead and support a team of staff and volunteers, and actively manage the safe and effective delivery of the RNLI’s lifesaving services.

Seán Ginnelly with trainee crew Triona Breen | Credit: RNLI/Eleanor Hooker

Earlier this year, volunteers from Lough Derg RNLI travelled to the Irish Coast Guard’s Marine Rescue Coordination Centre on a pre-arranged visit. Members of the station also took the opportunity to visit Valentia RNLI and to see around the all-weather lifeboat and station.

Crew and members of Lough Derg RNLI operations team met watch officers Brian Shiels, John Geoghegan and Liam Jenkinson, who showed the crew round the centre and explained their important role maintaining a listening watch on marine distress frequencies.

Watch officers also produce and broadcast Radio Navigational Warnings and notify mariners of navigational hazards. They task and coordinate search and rescue missions with declared search-and-rescue (SAR) assets such as RNLI lifeboats, Sikorsky helicopters and the coastguard’s volunteer land and water units. The rescue coordination centres process calls that come from members of the public through the 112/999 emergency call system.

“It was an important visit that forged even closer ties with our colleagues in the Irish Coast Guard,” Christine said. “Members of the station also took the opportunity to visit Valentia RNLI and were given a warm welcome.”

Bundoran RNLI came to the aid of two swimmers on Sunday evening (20 August) after they were dragged out to sea off the Main Beach in the Co Donegal town.

The volunteer crew were requested to launch their inshore lifeboat at 7.49pm by Malin Head Coast Guard after a member of the public raised the alarm when they saw two people, initially thought to be children, being dragged out to sea.

The Irish Coast Guard’s Sligo-based helicopter Rescue 118 and Killybegs Coast Guard were also tasked.

Weather conditions at the time were described as at high tide with a one-metre sea swell and an offshore wind.

Helmed by Brian Gillespie and with crew members Mark Vaughan, Oisin Cassidy and Richard Gillespie onboard, the Bundoran lifeboat made its way to the scene where the helicopter crew, which had also just arrived, spotted the two people in the water and directed the lifeboat crew to their exact position.

Both the man and woman were found to be safe and well but due to how far offshore they had become, a decision was made by the lifeboat crew to take them onboard and bring them safely back to the Main Beach.

Speaking following the call-out, Bundoran RNLI lifeboat operations manager Daimon Fergus said: “Thankfully, both people were found to be safe and well when we located them yesterday evening and not in need of assistance. However, as they were quite far out, the safest option was to bring them onboard and return them safely to the beach.

“We would like to commend the member of the public who raised the alarm when they spotted what they thought were two people in potential difficulty; that is always the right thing to do. We would also like to thank our colleagues in the various emergency services who attended including the coastguard, gardaí and ambulance service.

“As we approach the final weeks of the summer holidays, we would encourage anyone planning a trip to the coast to always plan ahead with safety in mind.

“Check weather and tide times before venturing out, always wear a lifejacket or suitable flotation device for your activity, always carry a suitable means of communication such as a mobile phone in a waterproof pouch, let someone on the shore know where you are going and when you are due back and should you get into difficulty or see someone else in trouble, call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.”

A group of swimmers were rescued by Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI this morning near Dalkey Island on Dublin Bay.

The crew was on a training exercise in the station’s inshore lifeboat when they were alerted to an incident unfolding at Dalkey Island. The swimmers had become separated from their main group, and upon reaching shore, became concerned for their friends who had not returned.

A passing Dive Support RIB was flagged down and alerted the Coast Guard, who promptly tasked Dun Laoghaire’s inshore lifeboat. All swimmers were accounted for, and the remaining swimmers were brought safely ashore and assessed by ambulance crews.

This was the first callout for volunteer crew member Andrew Sykes, who had recently passed out as a Helm at Dun Laoghaire RNLI for the station’s Inshore lifeboat. Andrew joined the station at the age of 18 and has worked his way up to the senior position of lifeboat Helm after six years on the lifeboat crew.

Dun Laoghaire RNLI Deputy Launch Authority Dara Totterdell urged all swimmers to keep safety in mind, advising them to know the area they are swimming in, watch the tides and the sea state, have an agreed plan, and know their limits. The RNLI’s Float to Live campaign recommends anyone in difficulty to float on their back if in trouble and never hesitate to call for help.

“We would encourage anyone planning a water-based activity to be wary of sea temperatures and to wear a wetsuit as hypothermia can set in within minutes,” Totterdell said. “If you see someone who may be in trouble in the water, raise the alarm immediately and call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard. Time is always of the essence in these situations.”

The volunteer crew from Portaferry RNLI were requested to launch by Belfast Coastguard shortly before 5pm on Friday (18 August) to assist a sailing yacht in difficulty.

The 28ft yacht with two adults and a child on board had run into trouble off Ardglass on the coast of Co Down in Northern Ireland.

The occupants had found it difficult to make way against the rough weather conditions as Storm Betty approached, and with their engine running low on fuel they radioed the coastguard for assistance.

Under the command of coxswain Gerry McConkey, the all-weather lifeboat The Leonard Kent from Newcastle RNLI launched at 5.40pm to assist Portaferry RNLI’s inshore lifeboat, if required.

Conditions were difficult with an easterly to south-easterly wind and rough waves between two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half metres.

Having first ensured that the three people on board were not in need of any immediate assistance themselves, the lifeboat helm assessed the situation and made the decision that taking the vessel under tow was the safety way to assist the casualties.

The yacht was taken under tow to the nearest safe and suitable port, which was Ardglass Marina, by the Portaferry lifeboat.

Portrush RNLI volunteers were tasked by HM Coastguard at 12:50pm on Saturday afternoon (19 August) to respond to a Mayday call made by a pleasure boat with three on board which was taking on water between Portstewart and Barmouth.

Launching at 1.15pm in Force 5 winds and moderate seas, the Portrush all-weather lifeboat made its way to the casualty vessel’s reported location off Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast.

With reports that the vessel had sunk and three people in the water, the Portrush lifeboat arrived on scene within minutes — joining the Irish Coast Guard’s Sligo-based helicopter Rescue 118 and three other local boats who had also responded to the Mayday call.

One of the other local boats spotted the casualties and her crew brought two back to harbour. The Portrush lifeboat picked up the other casualty and returned to harbour where they were met by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and coastguard.

Beni McAllister, lifeboat operations manager at Portrush said: “The three casualties were very lucky in that they had buoyancy aids and also means of communication to call for help. Thank you too to our local boat-owners who responded so quickly to the call.”