#Hoax - The UK coastguard has decried an “elaborate hoax” after lifeboats and a coastguard helicopter were launched after several calls from someone claiming to be a kayaker in difficulty off the Co Down coast.

As BBC News reports, lifeboats from Bangor and Donaghadee RNLI respectively joined a rescue helicopter from HM Coastguard in Scotland in the search off the Copeland Islands yesterday (Sunday 2 April) that was declared a hoax after a thorough search of the area.

#Rescue - The Irish Times reports on the rescue of eight divers off the Sligo coast after a boat capsized this morning (Sunday 19 March).

Sligo Bay RNLI were tasked to the scene off Aughris Pier in Sligo town after the incident during a diving excursion, rescuing seven from a heavy swell.

An eighth person was subsequently recovered from the water and airlifted to Sligo Hospital by the Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 118, which was diverted from the ongoing search for the missing crew of Rescue 116.

Independent.ie reports that the latter diver was in serious condition, and that a second diver was later hospitalised.

#RNLI - Dun Laoghaire RNLI’s inshore lifeboat was called out twice yesterday (Thursday 16 March) to separate instances of kitesurfers in distress.

The first callout was to Dollymount Strand on Bull Island across Dublin Bay, in which the casualty was landed ashore to Howth coastguard volunteers.

The second was off Sandymount, with the kitesurfer involved landed to the care of Dun Laoghaire’s Irish Coast Guard unit.

No medical attention was required in either incident.

Donald Trump got his Shamrock from Taoiseach Enda Kenny through the work of a lifeboatman from Helvick Head writes Tom MacSweeney.

Eamonn Terry is owner of the crystal craft business Criostal na Rinne in the Waterford Gaeltacht of An Rinn which was chosen by the Taoiseach’s Office to provide the handmade crystal bowl in which Taoiseach Enda Kenny presented the Shamrock to US President Trump to mark St.Patrick’s Day.

Eamonn designed and cut the special crystal piece.

He has been involved in the Helvick Head Lifeboat Station since 1996. He first served as a Helmsman until he took up the position as Deputy Launching Authority (DLA) on retirement from the crew in 2000. In 2001 he was appointed Lifeboat Training Co-Ordinator (LTC) until he retired in March 2015. He was awarded an RNLI Inscribed Statuette at the 2013 RNLI Annual Awards in Dublin and was also presented with a token of appreciation for outstanding service on behalf of the crew by Colin Williams, Divisional Operations Manager at a ceremony in the Helvick Lifeboat Station on his retirement.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) and the GAA have announced a major partnership aimed at reducing the number of people who lose their lives though drowning in Ireland. Each year an average of 28 people drown accidentally around the Irish coast.* The RNLI aims to halve coastal drowning by 2024 and the GAA will work with the charity to engage with clubs and communities, particularly on the coast, to provide information and support that could save lives.

The RNLI’s drowning prevention campaign ‘Respect the Water’, will be supported through the GAA’s Healthy Clubs initiative and the wider club network. Many GAA clubs are based in coastal communities with 333 of them in a 10km radius of the 46 RNLI lifeboat stations in Ireland. Their location makes them ideally placed for sharing information and raising awareness of the causes of drowning and how to prevent it.

In announcing the partnership, the President of the GAA, Aogán Ó Fearghaíl says, ‘In the RNLI the GAA sees an organisation that mirrors its core values of community activity and volunteerism. We welcome the 'Respect the Water' campaign and its efforts to keep people safe all year round.’

Joining the President at the launch is RNLI Chief Executive, Paul Boissier, who added, ‘Drowning devastates communities, but it’s often accepted as just part of life by the water. We believe that many of these deaths are preventable and we need to work with other organisations who, like us, want to keep their communities safe. Much like a lifeboat station, a GAA club is at the heart of community life. Sporting communities can play a major role in preventing deaths by drowning. Through their approach to the sport and their position in the community they are well placed to be lifesavers.’

Through the partnership the RNLI invited the GAA to their training college in Poole and to Portsmouth University, to meet cold water shock expert Professor Mike Tipton. Four GAA athletes; Jackie Tyrell from Kilkenny, Lyndsey Davey from Dublin, Neil McManus from Antrim and Lee Chin from Wexford experienced what it was like to be plunged into cold water and see the effects of it on the body. The athletes, along with representatives of four coastal ‘GAA Healthy Clubs’ (Bray Emmets, Wicklow; St. Peter’s, Down; Achill, Mayo, and Castlehaven, Cork), also took part in rescue scenarios in specially created challenging weather and sea conditions.

Dublin footballer and three times GAA All-Star, Lyndsey Davey, has a very personal reason for getting involved in the campaign. Her great uncle Michael Hayes was the skipper on the Tit Bonhomme, which sank off Glandore Harbour with the loss of five of the six crew, including Michael. Lyndsey says, ‘The loss of Michael and his crew was a very difficult time for all the families involved. During the days and weeks following the sinking, the whole community of Union Hall really came together. The search and rescue efforts were relentless and the support given was incredible. I got involved in this campaign as I wanted to give something back and help create awareness around water safety and drowning. In doing so I hope we can prevent any family the pain of losing a loved one through drowning.’

All-Ireland winning Kilkenny hurler Jackie Tyrrell said, ‘Like many people in Ireland I too have lost someone close to me to drowning. So many of our clubs live and train near the water, whether on the coast on near inland rivers and lakes. We have a responsibility to help and our sport and our ethos encourage this. I know our supporters get behind us in our games, now we are asking them to get behind this campaign; it could help save a life.’

Antrim Champion Hurler and Cushendall native, Neil McManus, has been at the fore in driving the partnership and added, ‘The stories of loss through drowning that we’ve heard from the RNLI really hit home. You can’t help but think of the grief of the families. I play hurling across the road from the local lifeboat station and I know not everyone can be rescued. In backing this campaign I hope that the message reaches as many people as possible because no family should have to suffer the pain of losing a loved one through drowning.’

Wexford Hurler Lee Chin has also put his full support behind the campaign. Lee says, ‘Visiting the RNLI College and taking part in the exercises and rescue scenarios has made me aware how quickly people can get into trouble in the water. Simple advice and information can save lives and reduce the numbers of people drowning in Ireland.’

The athletes and Healthy Clubs representatives were joined at the launch by Kerry footballer Killian Young and Cork footballer Brian Hurley. Both athletes live near the RNLI lifeboat stations, Union Hall and Valentia and are backing the Respect the Water campaign.

Legendary broadcaster Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, who was Master of Ceremonies for the launch, has also narrated a specially commissioned short film for the partnership, which was given its first screening at the event.

The RNLI will work with the GAA and their volunteers in local communities to promote the campaign and share key safety messages and advice.

#RNLI - Portrush RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew got an early callout yesterday morning (Sunday 5 March) on reports of a cruiser with three on board that had got into difficulties 33 miles offshore just south-east of the island of Islay in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides.

Weather conditions were described as ‘perfect’ with a bright morning pagers went off at 10.10am, and the crew were quickly underway at full speed due the favourable sea conditions.

When the lifeboat crew reached the vessel, a towline was quickly attached to the cruiser and it was taken under tow to Portrush at a slow and steady rate of six knots. The lifeboat crew returned to base by 4.30pm, six hours after launch.

Portrush RNLI lifeboat operations manager Robin Cardwell said: “This was a textbook exercise for the crew, and something they train for all year round. The good weather conditions assisted the recovery and good progress was made for home.”

#RNLI - In an unusual callout for Fethard RNLI recently, the volunteer lifeboat crew came to the aid of two bulls that had fallen from cliffs in the Broomhill area.

In difficult conditions, with an incoming tide and a large sea swell, the two animals in distress were brought to safety by the incredible efforts of the lifeboat crew on the day.

Fethard RNLI was already out on exercise with their neighbours in Kilmore Quay RNLI on Friday 24 February when the lifeboat was tasked to the Broomhill area at Waterford Harbour to a report of two bulls that had fallen from a cliff.

On scene at Broomhill by 11.20am, the lifeboat crew assessed each animal and decided to attempt a rescue as one was stranded in the gully with the incoming tide.

The second animal was 10 feet above the water on rocks further north and was relatively safe at that time.

The helm veered the lifeboat down into the gully and crew member Eoin Bird entered the water with a rope, swimming 50 yards in dangerous and difficult conditions to reach the stranded animal that had fallen some 15 metres.

Bird made a halter and placed it around the animal, then swam back to the lifeboat, which then towed the animal clear of the rocks.

The bull was brought alongside the lifeboat and one of the crew held its head safely above water for the 1.5km journey to Templetown Bay, where it was safely landed ashore to be taken into the care of the owner.

The lifeboat crew then returned to the scene where a halter and rope had already been placed on the second animal, which was then towed off the rocks and brought ashore.

Commenting on the callout, Fethard RNLI deputy launching authority Hugh Burke said: “This was a rescue with a difference for our volunteers, but we do train for every type of scenario. Nobody wants to see animals in distress or difficulty and we are happy to launch to bring them to safety.

“Conditions on the day were fairly lively with a two metre swell. The rescue involved excellent boat handling by our lifeboat helm John Colfer and great work by Eoin and Finola to bring the two animals to safety. It was one we won’t forget in a hurry.”

The lifeboat crew on this callout were helm John Colfer and crew members Eoin Bird and Finola Foley. Shore crew were Thomas Nolan and Tim Bradley.

#LoughRee - RTÉ News reports that a man has died after an incident while kayaking on Lough Ree yesterday afternoon (Saturday 4 March).

Coastguard and RNLI teams recovered the casualty, believed to be an experienced water sportsman, after he went missing between Hodson Bay and the village of Lecarrow. He later died at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe.

#RNLI - Skerries RNLI responded to three calls for help since the weekend, bringing to safety three men, a woman – and a dog.

Dublin Coast Guard tasked Skerries RNLI shortly after 6.30am yesterday morning (Wednesday 1 March) after a call from a fishing vessel with two men on board that had run aground on the rocks south of Shenick Island.

The inshore lifeboat crew quickly located the fishing boat and determined that she was still aground, but not taking on any water.

As a precaution, Howth RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat was requested to assist, but as the vessel began to float no help was required and the Howth crew returned to station.

The Skerries lifeboat — with helm Eoin Grimes and crew Paddy Dillon, Steven Johnson and Peter Kennedy — stood by the fishing vessel as she returned safely to Skerries Harbour.

Two days previously, on Monday morning (27 February) shortly after 10.30 am, volunteers Conor Walsh, Joe May and Stephen Crowley manned the lifeboat to assist a woman who was stranded on the rocks after going to the aid of a trapped dog.

The woman was not the owner of the dog, but had waded out to help the distressed animal before being cut off by the tide.

Both were brought safely to the lifeboat station and the dog was taken to a local veterinarian, where she was later reunited with her owner.

On Saturday afternoon (25 February), the lifeboat was launched with Eoin Grimes, Conor Walsh and Simon Shiels on board after the coastguard requested assistance for a man who had lost power on his personal watercraft.

The man had been some way off shore when he ran into difficulty, and was exhausted after he had managed to paddle a long distance.

The lifeboat crew assisted the man ashore where he received further help from the Skerries Coast Guard unit. They then took the watercraft under tow and returned it to the beach.

Speaking about the callouts, Skerries RNLI lifeboat press officer Gerry Canning said: “We’re very proud of our volunteers. This last few days they have shown just how much commitment and dedication is involved in being on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They are always ready to respond to a call for help.”

#RNLI - The RNLI’s Cork city fundraising branch is one of 10 charities shortlisted for Douglas Court Shopping Centre’s charity partner of the year.

Votes on Facebook will be tallied after the closing date this Friday 3 March for a prize to the winning charity that includes a €1,000 shopping voucher and collection days at the shopping centre throughout the year.

Votes can also be cast at the centre’s information desk for those not on social media.