Galway RNLI’s volunteer crew were requested to launch by the Irish Coast Guard yesterday afternoon (Friday 20 September) to rescue a walker on Hare Island who was cut off by the incoming tide.
RNLI/Aoife Morrissy
Galway RNLI volunteer crew on board the Atlantic 85 lifeboat during a recent training exercise.
The crew of Brian Niland, Martin Oliver and Stefanie Carr had the lifeboat on the water shortly after 4pm and made their way to Hare Island, on inner Galway Bay, which is accessible to walkers at low tide. The casualty was located and taken safely on board the lifeboat. The crew then returned to the lifeboat station and the casualty, who didn’t require medical attention, was able to get ashore safely.
Brian Niland who was helm on the lifeboat said: ‘The person we rescued this afternoon did the right thing. They had a mobile phone and called for help when they realised that they had been cut off by the tide, which still coming in as we arrived on the island. Staying put was definitely the right thing to do.
‘This was the second shout for the crew in the space of 24 hours after a request to launch on Thursday afternoon to reports of a person caught out by the incoming tide near Kinvara. The crew were stood down on arrival in Kinvara as the person had been brought safely ashore by Gardaí on the scene.
‘We’ve had a lovely late summer in the past week and many people took the opportunity to enjoy the fine weather out on or by the water. Walking around coasts is a very safe activity most of the time but it is very easy to get caught out by tides and we’ve had particularly high tides in the past few days. Our advice is to always take a means of calling for help and to check the weather and tides before you head out. Tide times and heights vary throughout the month and can easily catch you out if you haven’t checked them.
‘If you get into difficulty or see someone in difficulty, please dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.’
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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.
