Castletownbere RNLI and Coast Guard helicopter rescue woman in West Cork
Castletownbere RNLI were launched this afternoon (Saturday 5 June 2021) and conducted a joint rescue with Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 115 from Shannon of an ill woman onboard a local angling boat off the West Cork coast.
Castletownbere RNLI's lifeboat was requested by Valentia Coast Guard Radio at 1.42pm with a report of a 25ft boat near the Dursey Sound with a woman onboard who had taken ill and was unresponsive. The Shannon-based Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 115 was also sent to the scene.
The lifeboat was launched within minutes under the command of Coxswain Dean Hegarty with mechanic David O’Donovan and volunteer crew Joe Cronin, John Paul Downey, Aaron O’Boyle, Kyle Cronin and Donagh Murphy.
The lifeboat located the casualty near Blackball Head and two lifeboat crew volunteers boarded the vessel. A first aid assessment was undertaken and oxygen was administered and the casualty became responsive. The woman was then transferred to the lifeboat. The helicopter winchman was lowered to the deck of the lifeboat and the casualty was airlifted to the helicopter at 3.05pm and was then taken to Kerry General Hospital.
Commenting on the call out Castletownbere RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Paul Stevens, complimented the coxswain and crew on its rapid response, the high level of teamwork and stated that the rescue was an ‘excellent example of joint collaboration between the RNLI and the Coast Guard’.
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