Seafarers get safety exercise

A MAJOR sea rescue exercise aimed at skippers and boat owners will take place in Cork tomorrow.

As scaled-down searches continued yesterday for the bodies of seven men missing from two trawlers which sunk off the south-east coast last week, all seafarers, clubs and organisations that take to sea were encouraged to attend the event at the National Maritime College in Ringaskiddy, organised by the Irish Coast Guard and the Crosshaven Coast Guard unit.

The informal event will include a presentation on medical emergencies at sea by Health Service Executive staff from Cork University Hospital’s (CUH) medical advice link (Medico) call centre.

The Medico service offers remote advice from CUH via radio link to masters and skippers of vessels who are dealing with crew medical emergencies at sea.

Weather permitting, the crew of the Irish Coast Guard Sikorsky S61N search and rescue helicopter from Waterford, who were involved in the rescue of two men from the life raft of the Honeydew II last week, will demonstrate the rescue of an “injured” seaman from a vessel.

Places at the briefing event, which starts at 2pm, are limited and can be booked by dialling 086-852 1645.