Double callout for Baltimore RNLI

Baltimore’s RNLI crew had a busy Bank Holiday Monday with two callouts.

The first callout was in the early hours to provide a medical evacuation from Sherkin Island off the coast of Baltimore.

The volunteer lifeboat crew launched their all-weather lifeboat at 00.28am, following a request from the Irish Coast Guard to provide medical assistance and evacuation to a man living on the island.

The crew arrived at Sherkin Island pier at 00.39am and three crew members proceeded to the casualty’s location where they administered casualty care and then transferred him by stretcher back to the lifeboat. The lifeboat departed Sherkin at 01.19am and handed the casualty over to the HSE paramedics who were waiting at Baltimore lifeboat station.

There were seven volunteer crew onboard the lifeboat and conditions in the harbour during the call out were calm with a south westerly force two-three wind and no sea swell.

Later that day, the volunteer lifeboat crew launched their inshore lifeboat at 12.05pm, following a request from the Irish Coast Guard to provide assistance to a yacht with two people onboard that was in difficulty in strong wind and rough seas in Baltimore Harbour. Two members of the public raised the alarm.

The crew arrived at the casualty vessel at 12.09pm and discovered it had broken free from a mooring and was caught by its rudder on a line in the harbour. Voluntary lifeboat crew member David Ryan went aboard the casualty vessel to establish a tow. The Baltimore inshore lifeboat towed the vessel through rough conditions in the harbour and put the boat on a mooring in the shelter of Sherkin Island. An anchor was also dropped from the yacht for added security. The occupants of the yacht were then brought back to Baltimore, and the lifeboat returned to station, arriving at 12.43pm.

There were four volunteer crew onboard the lifeboat and conditions in the harbour during the call were very windy with a south westerly force seven-eight wind and 1.5m sea swell.

Speaking following the call out, Kate Callanan, Baltimore RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer said: “We would like to commend the members of the public who raised the alarm today as soon as they saw the yacht was in trouble as it could have escalated very quickly in the poor weather conditions in the harbour at the time. This is the second call of the day for Baltimore RNLI who were called out to a medevac on Sherkin Island in the early hours of this morning. If you find yourself in need of assistance at sea or on an island call 999 or 112.”