Courtmacsherry RNLI called out twice on Valentine's Day
Courtmacsherry RNLI's all-weather lifeboat, Val Adnams, was called out at 5.20pm yesterday (Valentine's Day, 14 February) to assist in the rescue of a dog that entered the water off the cliffs at Garretstown, to the east of the Old Head of Kinsale.
In very poor sea conditions and with bad visibility, the lifeboat under Coxswain Ken Cashman and crew along with the Old Head / Seven Heads Coast Guard unit and the Kinsale RNLI inshore lifeboat undertook a thorough search of the area until being stood down by the Valentia Coast Guard Marine Rescue Co – Ordination Centre shortly after 6.30pm.
As the Courtmacsherry lifeboat returned to base, another call out was activated by the Coast Guard to go to the aid of a surfer that was reported in difficulties off Garretstown beach.
The same crew responded immediately and thankfully the surfer was able the get ashore safely themselves and the lifeboat returned to base in Courtmacsherry at 7.30pm.
Brian O'Dwyer, Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said: 'It was important that both of these call outs were reported quickly as conditions at sea and shoreline yesterday were very poor and it was so important to call 112 or 999 when a difficulty is seen off our coastline.'
The crew on yesterday’s call outs were Coxswain Ken Cashman and crew Dave Philips, Kevin Young, Tadgh McCarthy, Tom Kelly and Luke Hanley. This was the first call out for one of the stations new crewmembers Tom Kelly and it’s a Valentine Day that he certainly will long remember.
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