#RNLI - Wicklow RNLI carried out a medical evacuation of an unwell man from a survey vessel off the Wicklow coast in the early hours of yesterday morning (2 September).

The alarm was raised after the man was suspected to have been overcome with fumes on a survey vessel working near the Codling Buoy. The all-weather lifeboat launched at 2.45am and was alongside the survey vessel at 3.12am.

Conditions in the area at the time were described as moderate sea with wind southwest Force 3.

The casualty was transferred onto the lifeboat by stretcher and as the lifeboat returned to Wicklow, the crew administered first aid and monitored the casualty.

Due to the low tide in the harbour at the time, the casualty was transferred to the inshore lifeboat and landed ashore at 3.50am. He was met on arrival by a waiting ambulance crew who took him to hospital.

Speaking after the call-out, Wicklow RNLI lifeboat operations manager Des Davitt said: "This was a typically professional response by the volunteer crew of Wicklow lifeboat, who launched within seven minutes of being paged."


The all-weather lifeboat crew launched under coxswain Nick Keogh with mechanic Brendan Copeland, Ciaran Doyle, Carol Flahive, Paul Sillery, Graham Fitzgerald and Peter McCann on board. The inshore crew were helm Barry Spencer, Dave O'Leary and Brian Sinnott. 

#RNLI - Wicklow RNLI carried out a search of Wicklow Bay on Saturday night (31 August) after the Irish Coast Guard received a 999 call to report a distress flare sighting.

Both Wicklow's all-weather and inshore lifeboats were requested and launched just before 9pm and a search of the shoreline from the Six Mile Point and bay was conducted.

Conditions in the area at the time presented a calm sea state and there was good visibility.



After an extensive search of the area nothing was found. The lifeboats were stood down and returned to the lifeboat station shortly before 10pm.


Speaking after the call-out, Wicklow RNLI coxswain Nick Keogh said: "We made contact with some anglers on Kiloughter beach and spoke to the crew of a passing yacht in the search area and they hadn't seen anything."



The crew on the inshore lifeboat were helm Graham Fitzgerald, Dean Mulvihill and Peter McCann. The all-weather lifeboat crew were coxswain Nick Keogh, mechanic Tommy Murphy, Ciaran Doyle, Dave O'Leary, Carol Flahive and Brain Sinnott.

#RNLI - Portaferry RNLI had a busy start to the weekend with two call-outs last Friday (30 August).

The first call was received just before 3pm from a 5m Shetland open-top fishing vessel with two men and one child on board, who had lost power and run onto rocks near the entrance to Ardglass Harbour in Co Down.



The volunteer crew were on the water by 3.05pm and arrived on the scene 15 minutes later. Weather at the time was cloudy with good visibility and Force 4 northwest winds.



When the lifeboat crew arrived at the scene, the two men and the child had managed to climb onto the rocks to safety where they were met by a member of the coastguard.



The fishing vessel had lost power and by the time the crew could attempt to start the auxiliary engine the boat was washed onto the rocks. The lifeboat crew could do nothing to salvage the quickly sinking boat and remained at the scene until the two men and the child had been taken to safety.



The second call of the day was received at 9pm from a man and a teenager aboard a 27ft yacht that had lost engine power and was adrift close to the Fairway Buoy at the entrance to Strangford Lough in Co Down.



The volunteer crew launched at 9.07pm and were with the stricken yacht at 9.55pm after conducting a short search. The weather was fair with Force 4 to 5 northwest winds.



The lifeboat crew attached a line to the yacht and then proceeded to tow it nearly five miles to the safety of Portaferry Marina where they arrived at 11.20pm. The yacht was then securely moored in the marina and the two people on board safely put ashore.



Portaferry RNLI lifeboat operations manager Brian Bailie said: "It was certainly a busy start to the weekend for our volunteer crews and thankfully everyone was returned home safely.

"The skipper of the yacht which lost power at the mouth of Strangford Lough exercised good judgement calling for assistance when he did rather than attempting to sail back in what can be extremely tricky waters."

#RNLI - Achill Island RNLI was tasked to assist a young woman in distress off the cliffs of Old Head in Louisburgh, Co Mayo yesterday afternoon (28 August).

The volunteer lifeboat crew sped to the scene around 4pm yesterday after the woman, who had been diving from a cliff into the sea, was injured on entering the water and required urgent assistance.

As the lifeboat was en route, some of the woman’s friends managed to pull her from the water onto nearby rocks, below the cliff, to await help.



The lifeboat arrived shortly after and sent two crewmen ashore to administer first aid. Westport Coast Guard Unit and Rescue 115, the helicopter from Shannon, were also tasked to the scene.

The woman was taken on board the lifeboat and transferred to the helicopter, which took her to Castlebar General Hospital where her injuries were treated.



Lifeboat operations manager Tom Honeyman said: “This had been a very busy but fulfilling year for the volunteer lifeboat crew with this, the 20th shout so far in 2013.

"It is also another good example of the different wings of the emergency services working in tandem to affect a successful outcome.”

#RNLI - Portaferry RNLI responded to a mayday call about a converted fishing trawler at Ringhaddy Sound in Strangford Lough on Saturday night (24 August).

The alarm was raised by the crew of a nearby yacht who reported two men and two women on board an 80ft converted trawler, which had lost all power and was taking on water.

The Portaferry lifeboat crew launched before 8pm and were on the scene within 15 minutes. The sea at the time was calm with no wind and good visibility.



When the lifeboat arrived, one man and one woman had already transferred to the neighbouring yacht. The lifeboat crew then requested a salvage pump to help pump the water from the stricken boat.



A local vessel from Portaferry lent assistance by taking a pump to the lifeboat crew, and they met halfway between Portaferry and Ringhaddy.



With the assistance of the crew of the yacht who had called in the alert, the lifeboat manoeuvred the converted trawler onto the pontoons at Ringhaddy, and remained while the last of the water was pumped out and all four of its compliment were safely ashore.


Portaferry RNLI volunteer lifeboat operations manager Brian Bailie said: "We would like to pass on our thanks to everyone who helped bring this mayday call to a safe conclusion.


"The prompt actions of everyone involved resulted in a positive outcome and the volunteer RNLI crew for the second time in as many days helped to avert a potentially very serious situation."

Meanwhile, Donaghadee RNLI also launched on Saturday to go to the aid of a 17ft powerboat with four men on board that had run out of fuel off the Copeland Islands.

Belfast Coastguard received a call from the men shortly after 5pm and requested the lifeboat to launch.

The all-weather lifeboat crew, under second coxswain John Ashwood, located the vessel quickly and the decision was made to tow the casualty back to Donaghadee harbour. All returned safely shortly after 5.45pm.

#RNLI - Wexford RNLI rescued two people late on Monday night (26 August) after their yacht went aground on a sandbank on the way into Wexford Harbour.

The volunteer lifeboat crew responded to the report of the yacht which had grounded near Ravens Point around midnight on Monday.
 
Weather conditions at the time were good with a calm sea state and a north westerly force three wind.

But a fast-flowing tide of four knots meant that the inshore lifeboat and crew of the yacht had to work hard to refloat that boat.

Wexford RNLI lifeboat helm Peter Scallan commended the action of the yacht's crew, who he said were experienced sailors.

"The yacht's crew had taken all the correct precautions with the appropriate equipment on board to ensure their safety. They co-operated greatly with the lifeboat crew and as a result both they and their yacht were rescued." 
 


Lifeboat crew member Alan Keville went onboard the vessel to assist in the manoeuvre to get the yacht off the sandbank, which involved using the mast to get the vessel on its side as the keel was stuck hard in the sandbank. The yacht was under tow at 1.14am and back in Wexford at 2.30am.


Elsewhere, the Courtown lifeboat launched on Sunday afternoon (25 August) to a report of a swimmer missing off Ardamine beach.

The lifeboat crew, who were in the harbour at the time, launched within minutes and commenced a search of the area. Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117 was also tasked to the scene, along with the Courtown coastguard unit.

After a thorough search of the area between Glasscarrig and Courtown pier, all rescue services were stood down as nothing was found. Courtown RNLI thanked all the members of public who helped and provided information during the call out.

The day before, the Wicklow RNLI inshore and all-weather lifeboats were launched after a member of the public reported seeing a small craft with two people drifting off Brittas Bay beach.

While the lifeboats were on route to Brittas Bay, they were requested to stand down and return to station by the coastguard as the boaters managed to make their own way ashore.

Speaking after the call-out, Wicklow RNLI lifeboat operations manager Des Davitt said: "While this turned out to be a false alarm with good intent, we are delighted that the public are being vigilant and contact the coastguard immediately when they suspect someone is in trouble on the water."

#RNLI - Some 46 people completed the 750m course on Lough Erne in the revived Castle Island Charity Swim recently - including three Enniskillen RNLI lifeboat crew in full kit!

As reported last month on Afloat.ie, the swim traditionally took place annually with the support of the Blake family, and Enniskillen RNLI hailed as a "great honour" the chance to bring back the annual event.


Apart from the action on the water on Sunday 11 August, the day featured was a family fun morning on shore with a bouncy castle, face painting and an ice cream stand.  



Lifeboat volunteer crewman Adrian Kelly said of the day: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who got involved on all levels. I really hope everyone enjoyed the event and that we can give it a go next year."

#RNLI - Courtown RNLI was called out on Saturday (10 August) to assist a sailing boat that had run aground on the Bradleys rocks just south of Courtown Harbour in Co Wexford.

The yacht - called Jaws – had been taking part in the weekly club race and had accidentally drifted onto the rocks with three persons on board.

Fellow yacht Yasemin, which had been taking part in the same race, came to assistance and helped tow the yacht off the rocks.

Yasemin then passed the tow over to the Courtown lifeboat, which proceeded to tow Jaws back into harbour.

Courtown Lifeboat was then tasked to assist the yacht Nan, which had suffered engine failure and also required a tow into the harbour.

#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 - It was a busy afternoon for RNLI lifeboats on the east coast on Thursday 8 August with separate call-outs in Wicklow and Wexford.

Wicklow RNLI's all weather lifeboat Annie Blaker was launched at 3.15pm to answer a call for assistance from a lone yachtsman experiencing mechanical difficulties off Wicklow Head.

As the crew assembled at the station, another call for assistance was received from a boat with four people in the same area.



The lifeboat launched immediately and located the small boat with four on board near Brides Head a short time later, but the occupants were in no immediate danger, so no further assistance was required as the boat was able to return safely to more sheltered waters under its own power. 



The lifeboat then proceeded to the stricken yacht, located about two miles east of Wicklow Head shortly after 3.30pm. Weather conditions in the area at the time were described Force 4 with a south west wind.

The boat with the lone sailor was escorted back to Wicklow by the lifeboat. One of the lifeboat crew was transferred onto the yacht outside the harbour to assist with mooring the boat alongside the east pier.


Meanwhile in Co Wexford, the volunteer lifeboat crew at Rosslare Harbour RNLI launched their all weather lifeboat at 11am to assist an 11-metre fishing boat in difficulty.



The Arklow boat became entangled in fishing gear while north of Raven Point on the Wexford coast and lost all power. The fishing boat contacted the coastguard and the Rosslare Harbour RNLI lifeboat was launched and quickly on scene.

The weather conditions were described as good with a southerly Force 3 wind.



The lifeboat crew took the fishing vessel under tow as far as Cahore Point where the Arklow RNLI all-weather lifeboat took over the tow and brought them on to Arklow.



Speaking after the call-out, Rosslare RNLI volunteer deputy press officer Jamie Ryan said: “The emergency services reacted swiftly and help was on scene quickly. The three fishermen took the correct action in contacting the coastguard."