Skerries RNLI assist man who fell from cliff in second call out in 24 hours
Skerries RNLI were tasked by Dublin Coast Guard this afternoon (Sunday 5 September) after a 999 call was received reporting that a man had fallen from the clifftop in Loughshinny.
Shortly after 1pm the Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Louis Simson was launched by the volunteers in Skerries RNLI after the pagers were activated by Dublin Coast Guard. They had received a 999 call that a man had fallen from the cliffs in Loughshinny and was trapped on the rocks below. A course was plotted for Loughshinny and the lifeboat proceeded at the maximum safe speed possible.
The lifeboat was on scene within minutes and quickly spotted the man at the base of the cliff face with some people assisting him. The lifeboat was manoeuvred as close as possible to the shoreline. One of the people assisting the man came out to greet the lifeboat, they were members of a sub aqua club who had been returning from a dive nearby when they heard the man’s cries for help. Following a quick briefing on the casualty’s condition, two of the crew made their way ashore to further assess the casualty and perform first aid.
The Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter R116 had also been tasked and was soon on scene. The helicopter landed on the Beach in Loughshinny and the winchman then made their way across to casualty. After working to stabilise the casualty, the winchman requested that the landing site at Beaumont hospital be prepared for a transfer. A third crew member from the lifeboat was put ashore to assist in transferring the casualty to the helicopter.
The casualty was then airlifted to the landing site at Beaumont which had been prepared by Howth Coast Guard unit. Meanwhile, the lifeboat recovered the crew members from the beach before returning to Skerries to refuel and make the boat ready for the next service.
Less than 24 hours earlier, at 3.30pm on Saturday afternoon (Saturday 4 September), the volunteer crew launched the lifeboat following a distress call to Dublin Coast Guard from a small sailing cruiser with two people on board. They had suffered steering failure between Skerries and Balbriggan and were struggling to make their way to safety. Almost immediately after launching, the lifeboat made contact with the stricken vessel as they had managed to regain very limited steering and make their way closer to Skerries. The lifeboat stood by while the vessel approached the harbour and then assisted them in tying up along the pier. With the help of one of the volunteers from the station and a local angler, the steering component that had been damaged was successfully repaired and the pair were able to continue on their journey.
Speaking about the call outs, volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Skerries RNLI, Gerry Canning said: ‘This was another great example of how well all the emergency services work together, with volunteers and professionals working side by side to ensure the best possible outcome. We’d also like to say thank you to the gentlemen from Alpha Dive sub aqua club who did a brilliant job in raising the alarm and assisting the casualty until help arrived.’
RNLI media contacts
For more information please telephone Gerry Canning, Skerries RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 087 988 4965 or email [email protected] or Nuala McAloon, RNLI Ireland Media Officer on 087 648 3547 or email [email protected] or Niamh Stephenson, RNLI Ireland Media Manager on 087 1254 124 or [email protected]
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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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