Caitríona Lucas inquest: Rescue craft could have been on scene in 10 minutes if crew available 

Caitríona Lucas who died in a sea rescue mission off Kilkee, Co Clare in September 2016

A senior officer with the Irish Coast Guard’s Kilkee unit has told the inquest into the death of the Doolin volunteer Caitríona Lucas that its D-class rescue craft could have been on scene within 10 minutes, if she had the trained crew to launch it.

Orla Hassett, who is Kilkee Coast Guard's deputy officer-in-charge (OIC) and a paramedic with the National Ambulance Service, also said numbers in the Kilkee unit had dwindled so much they had to seek help from “flanking stations” — including the Doolin unit, which Ms Lucas was a volunteer with.