Two call outs in one day for lifeboat crew
Tuesday proved a busy shift for one brave RNLI crew in West Cork who answered two callouts before dinner time, one of which was a medical evacuation.
The first callout for the five-strong Baltimore RNLI volunteer crew came at 8.40am to assist of a 45 foot yacht with one person on board.
The yacht’s skipper had raised the alarm to the Irish Coast Guard after suffering engine failure at the entrance to Baltimore Harbour.
The RNLI crew launched their all-weather lifeboat and reached the casualty vessel at 8.47am where Coxswain Aidan Bushe assessed the situation, deciding that a tow was necessary. Two crew members, Emma Geary and Kieran O’Driscoll, went aboard the casualty vessel to assist with rigging a tow from the lifeboat to the yacht.
The lifeboat then proceeded to tow the yacht the short journey to the pier in Baltimore, arriving at 9.05am. Once the skipper was happy that the yacht was secured, the lifeboat departed and was back on station at 9.15am.
There were five volunteer crew onboard the lifeboat for the day’s first call out: Coxswain Aidan Bushe, mechanic Jerry Smith, and crew members Emma Geary, Pat Collins, and Kieran O’Driscoll.
Then, at 4.12pm on the same day, the crew were once again requested by the Irish Coast Guard to launch their all-weather lifeboat, this time to provide a medical evacuation for someone living on Cape Clear Island.
The crew arrived at North Harbour on Cape Clear Island at 4.33pm and after a quick assessment by a casualty care lifeboat crew member, the casualty was brought by stretcher onboard the lifeboat.
The lifeboat departed Cape Clear Island at 4.50pm and returned to the station in Baltimore arriving at 5.10pm where the casualty was handed over to the care of a HSE ambulance crew.
Seven volunteer crew members were onboard the lifeboat for the second call out: Coxswain Aidan Bushe, mechanic Cathal Cottrell, and crew members Jerry Smith, Emma Geary, Brian McSweeney, Pat Collins, and Kieran O’Driscoll.
Speaking following the call out, Kate Callanan, Baltimore RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer said: “It was a busy day for Baltimore RNLI with two calls in the one day and both times our volunteer crews were quick to respond. Should you get into difficulty at sea or on an island, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.”
The RNLI is a registered charity whose volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around Ireland and the UK. It operates 46 lifeboat stations in Ireland. The RNLI is independent of government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, the charity has saved over 142,700 lives.