Coast Guard gets new helicopter and rescue station

The young son of a Coast Guard volunteer tragically killed last March became the first civilian to board the new €35m search and rescue helicopter launched in Goleen on Saturday.

Tomas Hodnett lost his father Kevin, 29, in a tragic construction accident, just weeks after he had taken part in a massive search for five lost crewmembers of the Tit Bonhomme, which sank on Jan 15 off the Cork coast.

The new custom-fitted Sikorsky S92A helicopter staged a flyover of the Mizen peninsula following the official opening of a new Coast Guard station at Goleen, West Cork.

The twin-engine aircraft is specially equipped for search and rescue operations and is capable of flying faster and further than any aircraft currently in use in Ireland.

It is equipped with enhanced rescue mission technology including infra- red and low light cameras, a nightsun searchlight and a satellite communications system featuring a flight following tracking facility.

Opening the new station house at Church Rd in Goleen, Transport Minister Leo Varadkar paid tribute to the dedication of the unit’s 21 voluntary crew.

Gardaí, members of the navy and civil defence, and RNLI crews from Baltimore and Castletownbere, joined Coast Guard crews from Cork and Kerry for the ceremony, which included an official blessing of the building and a recitation of the Coast Guard prayer.

Built to replace the old IRCG rocket cart shed, the new station houses a boat shed and garage with office and kitchen facilities.

Mr Varadkar praised the OPW’s design team lead by Kate Quinn, Cork County Council, for realigning the road to facilitate the build and construction firm MMD.

Members of the unit who relied on the use of an ESB van for transport as recently as the 1980s are now equipped with a D class rescue boat, a 3.5 tonne transport van, a twin crew 4x4 jeep, quad bike and climbing equipment.

Goleen station officer Michael O’Regan was among four recipients of long service medals which were presented on Saturday.

He recalled how his father conducted Coast Guard rescues for what was then the Coast and Cliff Rescue Service on a horse and cart.

Inspired to help others, Mr O’Regan said the primary motivation for his 47 years of service has always been to “save lives”.

“You can’t put a price on life. Every spare hour I have, I put into it. I’ve made great friends down through the years, we are like a big family,” he said.

IRCG director Chris Reynolds said the new facility “is an ideal base from which to serve the maritime community of Mizen Head and surrounding areas for a long time to come”.