#LIFEBOATS – The RNLI in Ireland is to trial an inshore lifeboat on one of the biggest loughs on the River Shannon. At a recent meeting of the RNLI Board of Trustees the decision was taken to place an inshore lifeboat on Lough Ree for at least 12 months to assess whether a permanent lifeboat station should be established.

Formal representations were made to the RNLI by the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland with support from lough users and various statutory bodies including the Irish Coast Guard, for a declared search and rescue asset to be present on the Lough.

The charity already operates 43 lifeboat stations around the coast of Ireland and inland on Lough Derg and Lough Erne with around 1,500 volunteer lifeboat crew members. There are estimates of upwards of 1,000 boats moored in or around the Lough, which also has a number of large marinas.  The Lough is also a major intersection on the Shannon-Erne navigation route.

The RNLI will initially operate a B class Atlantic 75 lifeboat from temporary station facilities.  The lifeboat will come from the existing RNLI relief fleet and a decision will be taken following the year-long trial whether to establish a permanent station.

Martyn Smith, RNLI Divisional Inspector for Ireland, said: 'I am delighted that the RNLI Trustees have agreed to place a lifeboat on Lough Ree. The support and enthusiasm for an RNLI lifeboat on Lough Ree from the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland, lough users and statutory agencies has been enormous. As a charity which relies on volunteers and the generosity of the public we were very impressed with the level of interest and engagement from everyone we encountered.'

Lough Ree is at present the only major lake on the Shannon that lacks a dedicated search and rescue presence.  It is the centre for a variety of leisure pursuits based both afloat and ashore and has a significant amount of marine traffic passing through.  It therefore makes sense for the RNLI to have a presence here which will see us take local volunteers, train them to the highest standards, provide them with the best equipment and enable them to deliver a life-saving service that Lough Ree needs.'

Initial meetings have already been held by the RNLI locally to gauge interest and support and moves will now be made to recruit the volunteers needed to run the lifeboat station.

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David Sargent was named as the new treasurer of Howth RNLI at the lifeboat branch's AGM and awards event recently, The Irish Times reports.

Sargent succeeds Capt Peter McKenna, who served as treasurer for the last 16 years and was awarded for his service by Howth RNLI chairman Russell Rafter.

The meeting at Howth Yacht Club saw Rafter recognise the efforts of the lifeboat's crew and fundraising volunteers - such as the Howth Sea Angling Club, who raised more than €2,000 from collection boxes last year.

Rafter awarded the organisations highest award for volunteers, the Gold Medal of the Institution, to the late former chairman Alastair McMillan, who was a committee member for 44 years.

Meanwhile, the Long Service Badge for 20 years’ service was presented to crew member Ian Massey.

Crosshaven RNLI lifeboat this afternoon (Sunday 23 Oct) rescued one person who had become capsized from his kayak within Cork Harbour. Conditions at the time were poor with 2m seas and Gale force 8 to 9 winds. A member of the public alerted the Coast Guard at Valentia to the plight of the Kayakers near Fort Camden.

Crosshaven Volunteer lifeboat launched immediately with Jonathan Grey, Vincent Fleming and Ian Venner in command. The kayakers had drifted further into the harbour when the lifeboat found a person in the water holding onto his kayak for bouyancy. He and his kayak were quickly brought onto the liferaft. A second kayaker was also taken onboard the lifeboat due to the serious weather conditions. Both kayakers were well equipped and required no medical intervention.

The casualties and their kayaks were put ashore at Cobh.

At 09.35hrs this morning, Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat was requested by Valentia Coast Guard to go to the assistance of five persons, on board a 37ft cruiser on rocks and which was now taking on considerable amounts of water. The cruiser Laura was standing by, but was unable to get close.

At 09.49hrs the lifeboat launched, with helm Eleanor Hooker, Peter Clarke and Colin Knight on board. The lifeboat carried its salvage pump. The wind was southwest, Force 3 to 4 gusting 5 (9knots gusting 18), with visibility very good. At 10.12hrs the lifeboat was alongside the casualty vessel which was listing severely to starboard and on rocks. There were five persons on board, all safe and unharmed and wearing lifejackets. Two RNLI crew members went on board to assess damage to the vessel and, finding that she was holed and taking on water, it was decided to take all persons onto the lifeboat and transfer them to Castle Harbour where they were met by the rest of their group. The lifeboat thanked the skipper of Laura for standing by. The lifeboat returned to station and was ready for service at 12midday.

Both Portrush Lifeboats were in action on Saturday afternoon (15th October) to rescue four people in an overturned boat at the Barmouth at Portstewart.

Both boats were launched at 15.50 hours on a wet dark afternoon after reports had been received of an overturned rib. When the Inshore boat arrived on scene there was a heavy 2 metre swell. Three people were on top of the rib and one in the water.

The volunteer ILB crew got the person in the water into the lifeboat by which time the All-weather lifeboat was on scene. All persons were then transferred to the ALB and taken to Portrush.

All were wearing wetsuits and did not require medical attention.

Robin Cardwell LOM stated

'This was a perfect example of  team work between the two crews of the lifeboats from Portrush There was no hesitation in the volunteer crews responding to this shout. Each man knew what he had to do to bring the four people and their rib ashore'.

More from UK coastguard source here:

Six people have been rescued from a capsized dive boat at the entrance to the River Bann this afternoon.

Belfast Coastguard received a '999' call from a member of the public at 3:48 pm informing them that they had witnessed a small boat capsize and there were people in the water.  Coastguard Rescue Officers from Coleraine were sent to the scene. The Portrush inshore and all weather RNLI lifeboats were requested to launch and the Irish Coastguard rescue helicopter from Sligo was scrambled.

Steve Carson, Watch Manager, Belfast Coastguard, says:
"The inshore lifeboat was first on scene and discovered one person in the water and a further five people on the upturned hull of a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB). The conditions on scene were challenging with a large sea swell.
All six people have now been transferred to the all weather lifeboat and taken to Portrush Harbour and do not require further medical assistance.
The RHIB is being towed to harbour by the lifeboat.
We would like to remind the public that if they witness an incident along the shoreline or on the coast to ring '999' and ask for the Coastguard. Swift action from the member of the public this afternoon greatly assisted in the rescue of the six people in the water."

Laura O'Mahony visited Crosshaven RNLI station during the week to say "Thank You" to the lifeboat crew who rescued her and her Red Setter dog, Sam.

In April of last year, Laura was walking her dog near Hop Island, when he ran out over the mud flats and got stuck in the mud. Laura went after him and eventually got bogged down herself. Her predicament was fortunately noticed from the shore line and the volunteer RNLI lifeboat from Crosshaven was tasked along with the Coast Guard helicopter, the fire service and local Coast Guard units to attend.

Bernard Lynch, Barry Woods, Chairman, Crosshaven RNLI, Vincent Fleming, Denis Cronin, Laura O'Mahony and Alan Barton, Lifeboat Operations Manager, Crosshaven RNLI and SAM

Volunteers Vincent Fleming, Denis Cronin and Bernard Lynch made best time to the area as the rising tide was filling rapidly. Crewman Fleming managed to thread the lifeboat through the flats until he got near to Laura, at which point Bernard Lynch entered the water and extricated Laura and 11 year old Sam into the lifeboat. Laura was then handed over to the care of paramedics at the shore. Thankfully, Laura and Sam were uninjured.

Laura remarked, "I never thought I'd have to use the services of the lifeboat but I am most grateful to them. They are so hard working and lovely, and were so kind when they rescued us. When I saw them I knew we were safe. They kept on reassuring me."

In the intervening period, Laura has raised €850 for the RNLI, and on Wednesday last visited the Lifeboat station with Sam to hand over the proceeds and personally thank the crew. She said "This cheque is just a small way of saying thank you,"

A extensive rescue search in northeast England was called off on Monday when it was found that the planet Jupiter had been mistaken for a distress flare.

BBC News reports that Tymemouth RNLI lifeboat and an RAF rescue helicopter had been dispatched to search for a possible vessel in distress after a call from a member of the public on Monday evening.

But on establishing further details from the informant "it became apparent that the flares were in fact the planet Jupiter which is very low in the sky at this time of year", said Tynemouth RNLI's Adrian Don.

The RNLI stresses that the false alarm was made with the "best intentions" and urges anyone who thinks they have spotted a vessel in distress to contact emergency services.

FOUR Irish fishermen reported missing on Sunday have been found in good spirits off the coast of Minehead in Somerset.

This Is The West Country reports that the four men had left Helvick harbour in Co Waterford early on Sunday on a fishing trip but got lost shortly thereafter.

After contacting the coastguard with their concerns, the Helvick Head RNLI lifeboat was dispatched to Minehead, where the lost boat had been found by another fishing vessel, Faoilean Ban.

The lost fishermen subseqently followed the Faoilean Ban back to port at Helvick.

A 70 year old man was  rescued last night from the bottom of the cliffs at Llangrannog, West Wales.

Milford Haven Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre was alerted at just before six o'clock by a member of the public who was with the man when he fell. They immediately sent Coastguard Rescue teams from Gwbert and New Quay, the RNLI Lifeboat from New Quay and the RAF rescue helicopter from Chivenor to the scene.

On arrival they found that the man was very close to the incoming tide so he was lifted into the lifeboat and winched from there to the helicopter. He was then taken to hospital in Haverfordwest.

It's believed that the man had been out fishing and was walking to his car when he slipped five metres to the base of the cliff. He suffered serious head injuries.

Mike Rogers Milford Haven Coastguard Watch Manager said:
"This was a complicated rescue because the tide was rapidly coming in. I'd like to thank the member of the public, that reported the incident, for his assistance and the teams for their rapid response to this unfortunate accident.

A touch of Hollywood glamour came to Bundoran recently when Hawaiian surfing champion Bethany Hamilton dropped into Bundoran RNLI lifeboat station to say hello to members of the volunteer lifeboat crew.  Bethany was in town for the gala Irish screening of the film 'Soul Surfer', which is based on her life and was being screened after the opening of the European Surfing Championships.

Bethany lost her left arm in a shark attack off the North Shore of Kauai in Hawaii in 2003. The incident and her recovery are the subject of the new Disney film 'Soul Surfer'. Following the attack, Bethany overcame all the odds to become a champion surfer again. The film features an all star cast including Anna Sophia Robb, Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid.

Bethany called in to say hello to the lifeboat crew and was happy to pose for a photograph with the volunteers.  She is also no stranger to the area, having traced her family roots back to the Donegal town through the Hamilton's of Hamilton Hall.  The lifeboat crew made sure she was made very welcome and presented her with her very own RNLI "SOS" t-shirt and pen.

Surfer Bethany Hamilton with RNLI Bundoran. Photo: Linda McNulty

Speaking during the visit Bethany said, "With the incredible amount of time that I've spent in the ocean I've learnt how important emergency services are. The work that the RNLI Lifeboat guys do here in Bundoran is amazing and to do it on a voluntary basis really blows my mind - what a blessing for the community. The commitment these guys show, is second to none."

Commenting on the visit Colm Hamrogue, Bundoran RNLI lifeboat press officer added, "We were thrilled to welcome Bethany to the lifeboat station and show her the lifeboat.  It was an honour to meet the person who has overcome such adversity to go on and become a champion in her sport.  She is a true inspiration to the RNLI volunteers who go out and save lives at sea."

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The European Surfing Championships are being held in Bundoran for the third time in the competition's history and run from September 23rd to the 2nd of October.  As always the Bundoran RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew will be available if needed and wish all the competitors the very best of luck.