Back-to-back shouts for Clifden RNLI
The volunteer crew towed a broken-down boat with two people on board to safety yesterday evening and were tasked again at midnight to a medivac from Inishbofin.
At 6.45pm on Friday 26 May Clifden’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat was tasked by Malin Head Coast Guard to assist a boat that had broken down. The crew launched Joyce King in beautiful sunny conditions, helmed by David Barry with crew James Mullen, Joseph Acton and Brian Ward. They were assisted by Neil Gallery and John Brendan Mannion on shore.
The crew arrived on scene to find the casualties had anchored and did not require medical attention. The stricken vessel was taken under tow back to a mooring in Clifden Bay, arriving without incident at 8.45pm.
Another call-out came at midnight, Clifden’s all weather lifeboat, St Christopher was tasked to medivac an injured person from Inishbofin. The casualty had sustained a head injury from a fall. The lifeboat slipped her moorings under the command of James Mullen, (Coxswain), John Mullen, Joseph Acton, Dan Whelan and Neil Gallery as crew.
The weather was calm en route and a beautiful night at sea, the lifeboat made it to Inishbofin in excellent time. The crew met with the island nurse who provided a handover and then proceeded to transport the patient back to Cleggan pier. An ambulance was waiting to bring the patient to hospital for further treatment.
Speaking about the shouts Clifden RNLI Coxswain James Mullen said, “It was a busy night for our volunteer crew and I want to thank everyone involved, in particular the island nurse, An Garda Síochána, the National Ambulance Service and the Coast Guard who assisted in the multi-agency medical evacuation. Our volunteer crew remain on call 24/7, with the good weather promised we urge everyone to be safe around the water. If you get into difficulty, or see someone else in trouble, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.”
Key facts about the RNLI
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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