#RNLI - Howth RNLI continued a busy week of callouts on Wednesday evening (16 July) when the volunteer crew launched to assist a 27ft motorboat with no power drifting in the vicinity of the Nose of Howth.

The crew was alerted at 6.43pm following a distress call that a motorboat with two crew members aboard was drifting with no engine power at the mercy of the strong tide.

Weather conditions at the time were very good, with a light westerly Force 2 to 3 breeze and good visibility.

The Howth lifeboat, under coxswain Fred Connolly and with five other crew members on board, quickly located the casualty vessel and established a tow line to return the vessel and its occupants to the safety of Howth Harbour exactly an hour after the initial alert.

"The crew of the motorboat did the correct thing to call for help as soon as their vessel experienced engine trouble," said Connolly. "We are pleased that we were able to locate and tow the vessel to safety before it drifted closer to the shore."

Later that evening, Wicklow RNLI launched its all-weather lifeboat Annie Blaker to go to the aid of a 24ft yacht with mechanical problems off the Wicklow Coast.

The alarm was raised after the boat on passage south developed engine problems, With light wind, the yacht was unable to make any headway under sail, so the crew dropped anchor and contacted the Irish Coast Guard for assistance.

Wicklow's lifeboat, under the command of coxswain Nick Keogh, located the yacht – with two adults and a dog on board – one mile east of the Six Mile Point at 11.54pm. Conditions in the area were calm sea and light wind.

Crew member Kevin Rahill was transferred onto the yacht to establish a towline and assist the two sailors. Once the towline was rigged, the yacht was towed back to Wicklow Harbour, where it was safely secured alongside the East Pier by 1am.

#RNLI - Last night (17 July) the volunteer crew of the Bundoran RNLI lifeboat were paged by Malin Head Coast Guard to the aid of six teenagers who had been cut off by the tide at the West End of the Co Donegal town.

Bundoran's lifeboat William Henry Liddington launched just after 8.30pm with four crew on board and were on the scene within two minutes to find the group, who had climbed down to the water’s edge but were unable to make their way back and became trapped by the tide.

The six, none of whom were injured, were helped on board by the lifeboat crew and brought safely back to the station, where they thanked the crew.

Helming the lifeboat on the callout was Dessie Daly, who said: "This was another callout that had a happy ending.

"We thank the member of the public who made the initial emergency call and remind anyone who sees anyone in danger on the coast to call 999 or 112 and don’t assume that somebody else has done it."

#RNLI - Portaferry RNLI launched its inshore lifeboat yesterday afternoon (14 July) to the aid of a man who had suffered a head injury in one of the races during Portaferry Sailing Club’s annual regatta.

The lifeboat launched at 2.36pm and met up with the injured man a few minutes later on board his 12m yacht just off Marfield Bay in Strangford Lough, Co Down.



Weather conditions at the time were cloudy with good visibility, with a Force 2 to 3 southerly wind and calm seas.



After assessing the injured man’s condition, the volunteer crew transferred him into the lifeboat before taking him to Strangford Harbour, where he was then passed into the care of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service.

Around the same time, RNLI Bangor was launching to investigate reports that children could have been on board an abandoned homemade raft spotted adrift off Ballymacormick Point on the edge of Belfast Lough.

Calm seas and fine weather allowed the lifeboat to proceed at full speed to the search area between Ballymacormick Point and Orlock Point.

After an extensive two-hour search of the area in conjunction with a fishing vessel and a coastguard rescue team, nothing was found.

The search was later terminated when enquiries found that there was a high probability that the raft had drifted from shore during high water.

Michael McKenna, volunteer RNLI helmsman who was involved in the search, took the opportunity to remind all children playing along the coast of the SAFE code: S for spot the dangers, A for always go with a friend, F for find and follow the safety signs and flags and E for Emergency - put up your hand and shout or ring 999/112 and ask for the coastguard.

It was the third callout for Bangor RNLI in three days, after a busy Saturday 12 July that began with a morning request from Belfast Coastguard to assist in the search for an inflatable dinghy.

The dinghy had been spotted by a concerned member of the public at the mouth of Larne Lough.
 
The Bangor volunteer crew joined the Larne RNLI lifeboat in the search for the dinghy and its occupants. The former were quickly on scene and found the dinghy deserted with its engine down and a rope around the propeller.
 


The name painted on the dinghy hull was passed to Belfast Coastguard who were able to contact the owners. Thankfully, the owners reported that the dinghy had broken free from their vessel and that no one was on board.



The second call of the day came at 11:55am when the Bangor lifeboat launched to rescue four people from a motor boat that had broken down off the oil jetty at Cloghan Point, on the northern shores of Belfast Lough.
 


On scene, the RNLI crew quickly evaluated the situation and manoeuvred the lifeboat close to the broken-down vessel.

With relatively calm weather conditions, a tow rope was rigged and successfully passed to the motor boat, which was then towed the four miles back to the safety of Bangor Marina.
 


"Engine failure close to shore could lead to a life-threatening situation," said Bangor RNLI volunteer helmsman Iain Dobie.

"We always urge everyone going to sea to make sure their electrical systems and engine are well maintained and in good working order. A good anchor and chain should always be carried as part of essential safety equipment.

"We are glad the family on board this vessel are now safely ashore," he added.

#RNLI - Howth RNLI rescued a party of tourists yesterday afternoon (Monday 14 July) after the passenger boat they were on got into difficulty on the north side of Ireland’s Eye.

The volunteer lifeboat crew was alerted at 3.25pm following a Mayday call that a 30ft passenger boat had ran aground onto rocks and was taking on water.

Weather conditions at the time were described as good, with a westerly Force 2 to 3 wind blowing.

The lifeboat, under coxswain Fred Connolly and with four crew members on board, made its way to the scene a mile and a half away from Howth Harbour.

On arrival at the scene, Howth RNLI observed that another boat had come to the assistance of the casualty vessel and was holding it in position ready for the lifeboat to come alongside. It then emerged that the stricken vessel was not taking on water.

The lifeboat crew proceeded to transfer all of the tourists from the passenger boat safely onto the lifeboat, before establishing a tow line and returning the vessel and its occupants safely to Howth Harbour with no medical assistance required.

Further north in Co Dublin, Skerries RNLI were even busier in the weekend days before, responding to two separate callouts to vessels in difficulty.

Shortly before 5.30pm on Friday (11 July) the volunteer crew launched their Atlantic 85 lifeboat Louis Simson following reports of a small motor craft broken down off Donabate beach.

The lifeboat, with David Knight at the helm and crewed by Rob Morgan, Joe May and Eoin Grimes, proceeded directly to the area where they quickly located the motor craft with two people on board.

Conditions on scene were calm with a Force 2 southerly wind. A tow was established and the vessel was brought safely to Howth.

The second callout came shortly before 10.30am on Saturday (12 July) when Dublin Coast Guard requested Skerries RNLI launch to assist a yacht that had fouled its propeller North of St Patrick's Island off Skerries.

The lifeboat launched with David Knight on helm and Conor Walsh, Rob Morgan and Stephen Crowley also on board. There was a Force 1 northerly breeze at the time of launch and visibility was slightly reduced due to a misty rain.

The lifeboat quickly located the 13m yacht, which had fouled its propeller on a lobster pot. The volunteer crew managed to free the yacht and tow them safely to Skerries Harbour, where they then freed the remaining obstruction from the propeller.

Skerries RNLI's third launch of the weekend was less urgent but no less important, as the volunteer crew carried out their regular training exercises on Sunday morning (13 July).

Speaking of the callouts, Skerries RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer Gerry Canning said: "It was a busy weekend but our volunteers are always ready and willing to drop whatever they are doing to help anyone that is in difficulty at sea."

#RNLI - Lough Ree RNLI aided 10 people in two separate callouts over the weekend.

The first call came just before 7pm on Saturday (12 July) following a report that two craft vessels had ran aground on the east shore of Inch McDermott. The volunteer crew launched their inshore lifeboat within minutes at 7.06pm.

At the scene, the crew discovered that a 30ft cruiser with two adults on board has suffered engine problems and had drifted ashore. 

Meanwhile, a passing 80ft barge with four adults on board that had attempted to give assistance went aground herself.

The lifeboat eased the cruiser off the rocks and gave her into the care of a passing cruiser that had stopped to provide any assistance, before towing the barge back into deeper water.

Thankfully the barge had not suffered any damage and was able to tow the cruiser to Ballyleague. The lifeboat crew extended thanks to the crew of the cruiser Enchantress for their assistance.

The lifeboat crew was called upon for a second time at 4.42pm on Sunday afternoon (13 July) when a cruiser ran aground in the same area.

On scene a 33ft cruiser had grounded with four adults on board. The craft was eased back into deeper water and, after checking for damage, she was able to proceed on her journey.

#RNLI - Arklow RNLI’s volunteers gave the World Cup final the boot last night (Sunday 13 July) to respond to a pleasure craft in difficulty with three people on board.

Most of the lifeboat crew were settling down to watch the game at 8pm when the pager alert came in. The crew dropped what they were doing and made straight for the lifeboat station.

Within minutes of the alert, the all-weather lifeboat Ger Tigchlearr was en route to the distressed vessel, which was a short distance from the Roadstone Jetty, south of Arklow Harbour.

Once on scene it was established that the pleasure craft was taking on water and the three crew members were evacuated to the lifeboat.

A tow line was set up and the small pleasure craft was towed back to Arklow lifeboat station, where the volunteers brought the vessel safely up on to the inner slipway.

The three crew of the stricken pleasure craft were brought ashore safely at the lifeboat station.

Following the shout, Arklow RNLI deputy launching authority Declan Smullen gave "thanks to all of our volunteers who drop everything in their personal lives when the pagers sound and go to sea in all weathers, 24/7, to save lives at sea."

#RNLI - Following last week's assisting of nine people in two separate yacht breakdown incidents, Arranmore RNLI were out again yesterday (10 July) to rescue a man and a woman from a 14ft punt off the Donegal coast.

The volunteer crew launched their lifeboat at 4.30pm following a report from Malin Head Coast Guard that the fibreglass punt had suffered a broken outboard engine and broken oar in the Crohy Head area.

The all-weather lifeboat, under coxswain Anton Kavanagh and with six crew on board, made its way to the scene at Trawenagh Bay, six miles out of Arranmore.

Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 118 was also tasked to the scene, and spotted the casualty vessel shortly after 5pm at the mouth of Trawenagh Bay.

Weather conditions at the time were good, with a calm sea and clear visibility.

At the scene the lifeboat crew transferred the punt's two passengers onto the safety of the lifeboat before returning them to shore.

Using the station's Y-class lifeboat, the crew towed the stricken punt to safety at Black Point slipway between Trawenagh and Crohy.

Speaking following the callout, Kavanagh said: "This was a joint operation between ourselves and the coastguard and we were happy to be able to return the two people safe and well back to Black Point slipway this evening."

#RNLI - On 14 July our friends across the Irish Sea at Blackpool RNLI will celebrate 150 years of lifesaving.

The station was established in 1864 – 40 years after the RNLI was founded – and has been operated by a large team of dedicated volunteers ever since.

During its 150-year history, the charity’s lifeboats in Blackpool have launched on 1,898 occasions and have rescued 625 people.



A great deal has changed for the station in that time. The first lifeboat station to be built in Blackpool cost £170 – in sharp contrast to today’s station running costs, which total £85,000 per year. 

The cost of RNLI lifeboats has also changed dramatically. Samuel Fletcher of Manchester, the station’s second lifeboat, entered service in 1885 at a cost of just £398. This sum is considerably smaller than the £214,000 price tag of the current Atlantic 85 William & Eleanor. 



Running costs are not the only thing that has changed in the 150 years since Blackpool RNLI was established. The number of calls for help has also changed significantly. 

In the first 100 years of service Blackpool’s RNLI volunteers had an average of just two service calls per year. However, for over a decade now the station's volunteers have launched on average 64 times each year.


On some occasions callouts are straightforward and simple but on others the rescue operations are challenging, dangerous and demand extraordinary levels of seamanship, skill and bravery.

During Blackpool RNLI’s 150 years of saving lives at sea, the charity’s volunteers have been awarded six medals for gallantry, three silver and three bronze.

The most recent medals for gallantry were awarded to Keith Horrocks MBE and Phil Denham in 1988, awarded in recognition of the courage, skill and determination they displayed when both inshore lifeboats were involved in the rescue of two people in very confused seas.   



Blackpool RNLI volunteer lifeboat operations manager Keith Horrocks MBE said: "Our RNLI lifeboat station in Blackpool has a very long and proud history of saving lives at sea. 

"Our 150th anniversary is a significant milestone and provides a timely opportunity to remember the hundreds of men and women who have volunteered for the RNLI in Blackpool since 1864. 

"Many things have changed for the charity since 1864 but the dedication and enthusiasm of our volunteers has not."

#Lifeboats - Portrush RNLI's all-weather lifeboat was launched on Saturday 5 July to reports of kayakers in difficulty at the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge.

Although the sun was shining and it seemed like a good day for kayaking, the weather conditions at sea were choppy with a southwesterly wind that picked up what Independent.ie described as a 'freak wave' that capsized the group.

Two of the kayakers ended up on the rocks at Carrick-a-Rede and the coastguard rescue team were deployed to pick them up while the Portrush lifeboat stood by to offer safety assistance.



Two of the kayaking party who tried to make it back to base were found struggling as the tide changed, and were picked up by the Portrush all-weather crew along with their kayaks.

The party and their kayaks were then transported safely back to Portrush Harbour, where the kayakers disembarked. The whole operation took approximately three hours.



Portrush RNLI had a visiting coxswain on board, Anthony Barclay from Moelfre Lifeboat Station in Anglesey, North Wales.

One of Portrush’s previous lifeboats, Richard Evans, was named after one of the RNLI’s greatest heroes, a holder of two RNLI gold medals for bravery who also hailed from Moelfre.



Barclay said: "It was a privilege to cox the Portrush lifeboat today, and myself and the crew were pleased to have brought the kayakers safely back to Portrush Harbour."

In other news from Portrush, lifeboat chair James Heaney and operations manager Robin Cardwell were presented with a lovely gift from Dorma Healey and her son Steven recently.

On behalf of the station, they accepted a silver medal belonging to Dorma's father Sam Cunningham, ex-coxswain of the Portrush Lifeboat.

The medal was awarded to Cunningham for his outstanding seamanship in the rescue of a number of Greek seamen on the ship Argo Delos, which had run aground just off Malin Head on 2 October 1960.

The rescue was long and difficult in very rough weather, and the lifeboat was on service for over 14 hours.

In all 14 lives were saved thanks to the dedicated volunteer crew of the lifeboat. Each crew member received a ‘Thanks on Vellum’ from the RNLI and special tribute, with each of the crew also receiving an engraved silver tankard in recognition from the Royal Navy's HMS Leopard, which had also helped in the rescue.

Dorma Healy was delighted to present her father's medal to the station. This medal is unique in that it comes with an identical miniature silver medal, which was presented to Cunningham’s wife Dorothy.

For this rescue, the second coxswain at that time, Robert McMullan, also received a bronze medal for his courage displayed during the rescue.

This bronze medal is also displayed in the lifeboat station and was presented by his son Robert, also coxswain of the Portrush lifeboat.

#Lifeboats - Lough Ree RNLI assisted seven people whose vessels got into difficulty in two separate callouts over the weekend.

The volunteer crew was first requested to launch their inshore lifeboat at 6.20pm on Saturday 5 July following a report that a cruiser was experiencing engine problems off Goat Island.

1. The crew responded and went to the assistance of three people on board the 30ft craft. The lifeboat towed the casualty to Ballyleague Marina, returning at 9.20pm.

The lifeboat had a second callout on Sunday 6 July at 6.57pm, this time to assist a yacht with a failed engine off the north end of Nun's Island.

The lifeboat launched at 7.08pm and towed the craft to Hodson Bay. There were two adults and two children on board.

Meanwhile, Lough Ree RNLI recently held its open day at the lifeboat station, during which it welcomed Junior Cert student Liam Chartan from Athlone Community College.

Chartan had been given a project for his exams based on a theme entitled 'My Inspiration' and chose the RNLI, and Lough Ree Lifeboat Station, in particular, as his inspiration – as he lives only a ‘shout’ away from the station and has been inspired by the crew's activities since they commenced two years ago.

Chartan designed his project around a miniature replica of the lifeboat, the Dorothy Mary, and a pedestal with the instantly recognisable RNLI motif.

"When Liam returns from his holidays we hope to have him back to the station to observe a full training exercise," said Liam Sherringham, Lough Ree RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer.

"We hope he is surely headed for a volunteer crew role in the future, and we wish him well with his exam results."