Howth Coast Guard’s cliff rescue team came to the aid of relieved owners after Jacko the dog fell over a cliff on Howth Head yesterday afternoon, Friday 26 February.

It emerged that Jacko had been distracted by wildlife while out for a walk on the cliff path, and had slipped 100 feet down the steep cliff face to the rocks below.

Shortly after 1pm, Howth’s Irish Coast Guard unit dispatched a team of 12 to the scene near Casana Rock, where they set up their ropes and lowered a rescue climber with a dog harness over the cliff edge.

Shortly after, Jacko had been lifted to safety and reunited with his owners, who swiftly brought him to the vet for treatment for injuries he sustained in his fall.

“We are appreciative that the owners remained on the path and called for help immediately,” Howth Coast Guard said.

The unit added that its members attend over 100 calls a year, and with travel limitations in place this year is expected to be as busy if not busier than previous.

All are encouraged to call for the coastguard at 112 or 999 if they see someone who may be in trouble on the cliffs, beach or water.

A woman was rescued from a sea inlet in West Cork after a more than 90-minute ordeal yesterday evening, Thursday 25 February.

The casualty had got caught in the swelling tide just off the slipway at Dunworley Beach near Butlerstown before 5pm.

Fortunately her shouts for help were heard above the sinkhole leading to the inlet a local walker, who immediately called the rescue services.

Courtmacsherry RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat attended the scene alongside the Irish Coast Guard’s helicopter Rescue 115 from Shannon and the land-based Old Head/Seven Heads coastguard unit, who rigged up their ropes to climb down the sinkhole and reach the casualty.

The woman was then successfully raised up the sink hole cliff face to the care of a waiting HSE ambulance crew.

A woman in her 20s has been rescued after being washed into a cave & then getting trapped at Dunworely #WestCork. The rescue has been described as very complex. The casualty is now at home following her ordeal. @VirginMediaNews @IrishCoastGuard @RNLI @CourtmacRNLI @AmbulanceNAS pic.twitter.com/UXz0OguCku

— Paul Byrne (@PaulByrne_1) February 25, 2021

Courtmacsherry RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer Vincent O'Donovan said: “It was great to see the total dedication of so many voluntary people from all the rescue services today and everyday in these difficult Covid times, who drop all and rush to the aid of others in difficulties.”

O'Donovan reiterated the importance of calling the rescue services at 112 or 999 quickly once any incident like this occurs, as they are always at the ready 24 hours a day — and every minute is so important to any person in difficulty.

Irish Coast Guard training needs “will be addressed” after units expressed concerns about their safety with exercises suspended under lockdown, as TheJournal.ie reports.

While limited coastguard training resumed earlier this month, the likes of cliff units have not been able to take part in in-person training since Level 3.

And it’s been claimed that some members of the specialist cliff rescue teams have not received any training in six months.

TheJournal.ie has much more on the story HERE.

A dog and his walker were rescued after they got cut off by the tide at Sandymount this afternoon (Thursday 4 February).

Dun Laoghaire RNLI’s inshore lifeboat assisted with recovering the duo from the water and bringing them to safety at Poolbeg beach.

National Ambulance Service paramedics arrived to give the owner a medical check-up.

At the same time, an Irish Coast Guard member and a paramedic gave Hugo the dog some TLC after his dramatic experience, as Hugo can’t swim.

Dun Laoghaire’s coastguard unit reminds the public if you see anyone in difficulty in or near the water, dial 112/999 immediately and ask for the coastguard.

Cork Beo reports that a body was recovered off the West Cork coast in a multi-agency operation for a missing person on Sunday (27 December).

Thermal imaging was used to locate the remains in the area of the Old Head of Kinsale.

The crew of the Irish Coast Guard’s Waterford-based helicopter Rescue 117 were praised on social media for their bravery in recovering the body amid severe winds ahead of Storm Bella.

The incident came within days of the discovery of a body in the water at Dun Laoghaire’s Coal Harbour pier, which is being investigated by gardaí.

The Irish Coast Guard has has upgraded radio equipment at a number of VHF network remote locatosn in recent months.

Following these upgrades, the table below sets out the detail of the new coastguard working channels that are now in operation:

The remaining sites of Carlingford (CH04), Wicklow (CH02), Mizen Head (CH04), Galway (CH04), Clew Bay (CH05), Donegal Bay (CH02), Lough Ree (CH62) and Lough Derg (CH61) will retain their respective currently assigned channel.

A map showing the radio sites including the new channels and a guide to transmissing VHF distress alerts are included in Marine Notice No 61 of 2020, which is available to download below

The Irish Coast Guard’s Dublin-based helicopter was tasked to the rescue of a swimmer in difficulty off Greystones this afternoon, Wednesday 11 November.

TheJournal.ie reports that the middle-aged woman was one of a number of people swimming in the sea off the Co Wicklow town amid poor weather conditions, with a Status Yellow warning in place for heavy rain.

It’s understood a member of the public entered the water to reach the casualty with a flotation device, but they safely returned to land and the woman was subsequenty winched from the sea by the crew of Rescue 116.

Coast guard pulling someone from the sea in Greystones beach just now. Crazy stuff. ⁦@rtenews⁩ pic.twitter.com/d4AJvzcLHY

— Hugh Cahill (@hughcahill7) November 11, 2020

TheJournal.ie has more on the story HERE.

Cleggan Coast Guard in Connemara is long overdue a permanent base — and a local TD insists the village’s airstrip is the answer.

As the Connacht Tribune reports, Éamon Ó Cuív says it is unacceptable that the coastguard service for north Connemara has been seeking a fixed abode for so long.

A number of sites are being considered by the OPW — but Deputy Ó Cuív says none would be more suitable than the State-owned Cleggan Airstrip.

The Connacht Tribune has more on the story HERE.

Two people — one with an injured ankle — were rescued by the Irish Coast Guard after getting stuck on a cliff near the Baily Lighthouse on Howth Head yesterday afternoon (Sunday 11 October).

Howth Coast Guard’s cliff team reached the scene just as the Dublin-based helicopter Rescue 116 arrived, and it was decided the helicopter crew would recover the casualties to the cliff top.

The winchman was lowered with a double hoist lift both casualties, which TheJournal.ie reports were an adult and a teenager, to the top and into the care of the cliff team.

The younger of the pair had sustained an ankle injury that was not thought to be serious, but as a precaution they were stretched to the nearest road to meet an ambulance crew fro transfer to hospital.

“This was a lucky escape for the two casualties,” said a coastguard spokesperson.

“Due to the quick response by the public in calling 999 and giving an accurate location of the incident, rescue teams were able to quickly deploy.”

The Irish Coast Guard is reminding mariners of its planned changes to the VHF working channels currently used for communications with the public.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, upgrades of radio equipment at a number of remote locations around the coast will be made over a 10-week period scheduled to begin tomorrow, Tuesday 6 October.

Notwithstanding the changes, which are also outlined in the previous report, Channel 16 will remain available at each site for distress, safety and calling.

Channel 67 is also available when required but may not be actively monitored at all times.

Updates as the work progresses will be made on the coastguard’s social media accounts in Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as well as on the gov.ie and Safety on the Water websites.