#RNLI - The crew of the Holyhead RNLI lifeboat in North Wales have rescued two people from a 32-foot yacht trapped on the Harry Furlong reef half a mile north of Cemaes Bay in the Irish Sea.

The lifeboat crew launched a small Y boat from the Severn and evacuated the pair from the vessel. They were taken aboard the lifeboat and brought to Holyhead.

Although shaken by their ordeal no first aid was required. A small fishing boat stood by during the rescue, and a helicopter from RAF Valley and local coastguard teams were all involved.

Later the same evening, the Holyhead lifeboat crew was requested to secure the vessel and attach a tow. As she refloated, the yacht was towed to Holyhead Marina, where her owner was reunited with her.

#rnli – Red Bay RNLI lifeboat recovered two people from Fair Head cliffs after group of five people get into difficulty. Red Bay RNLI launched this afternoon at 4.14pm to a report of a group of people in difficulty on the boulder field at Fair Head near Ballycastle. Two people were recovered by the Red Bay RNLI lifeboat while a further three were airlifted by the Irish Coast Guard helicopter and transferred to hospital.

On arrival at the scene the lifeboat crew were informed that five people on the cliff required assistance. The group were approximately sixty metres up from the base of the cliffs when one of them was taken ill. When the emergency services arrived on scene two other members of the party were suffering from the effects of the cold.

A paramedic on scene treated one of the group. Three people were airlifted by the Coast Guard helicopter while the remaining two were guided to the shoreline by Ballycastle Coastguard where they were recovered onto the Red Bay RNLI lifeboat and brought to Ballycastle.

Paddy McLaughlin, Red Bay RNLI helm said, "This was a coordinated rescue effort with the agencies working together to help the five people to safety. These cliffs can be treacherous and difficult to reach in the event of an incident. The recovery of the five people safely by lifeboat and Coastguard was a good result."

Additional reporting by HM Coastguard: 

SIX RESCUED AFTER BECOMING STRANDED AT FAIR HEAD

Six people have been taken to safety after becoming stranded at the foot of cliffs at Fair Head.

Belfast Coastguard received a 999 call just before 3.30pm this afternoon with reports that a group of people were cut off on Grey Man's Path at Fair Head.

The Coleraine and Ballycastle Coastguard Rescue Teams, along with HM Coastguard's Sector Manager for the area, were sent to the scene. The RNLI inshore lifeboat from Red Bay, the Irish Coast Guard search and rescue helicopter and Northern Ireland Ambulance Service were also sent to assist.

Coastguard Rescue Officers located the group and administered first aid to a man who reported feeling unwell. This man, along with two others, was then airlifted to Aldergrove while the other three were taken to Ballycastle by the lifeboat.

Liam Colquhoun, Watch Manager at Belfast Coastguard said:

"We want people to enjoy our beautiful coastline, but you need to make sure that you are properly equipped, particularly if you're heading out for a walk along coastal paths. Remember to wear sturdy shoes or boots and check the weather forecast and tide times before you set out.

"There is the worry that some people could end up walking too far and can't get back. If this does happen, don't try to climb cliffs as a short cut back to the top. Instead call 999 and ask for the Coastguard."

#RNLI - Portrush RNLI assisted the crew members of a yacht that lost its mast while out sailing on the River Bann this morning.

The volunteer lifeboat crew were alerted by an observer and launched both the all-weather lifeboat and the inshore lifeboat just before 10am today Tuesday 6 August. The inshore lifeboat was later stood down.



The yacht in question had four people on board and had lost her mast and rigging due to an earlier collision with a navigation marker.

Portrush RNLI came alongside the yacht and passed equipment to her crew to help to stabilise the rigging.


Once this was done, a rope was successfully passed to the yacht to start the tow. This exercise was complicated because the yacht was stuck on the bottom of the river by the rigging and the keel, and the tide was falling fast.

Added to this, the river flow was quite strong, thus making conditions slightly more difficult.

However, due to the skill of the lifeboat crew and the fact that the winds were light, the tow rope was successfully attached and a long slow tow was started.



Mark Mitchell, deputy 2nd cox, said: "This was a tricky operation as the rigging and the sail from the yacht were still in the water, which made progress slow. We had to move at a reduced pace to ensure the tow would be successful. We had to move slowly into deeper water and adjust the tow accordingly."



Lifeboat operations manager Robin Cardwell added: "All the training and experience of our crew was required to ensure a successful outcome of this service. They judged conditions well and made sure the crew and yacht was brought to harbour."



The lifeboat crew towed the yacht to Coleraine Harbour and returned to base.

#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.