Irish and British coast guard involved in medical evacuation of man off south west coast

Valentia Coast Guard Marine Rescue Coordination Centre (MRSC) and British colleagues co-ordinate the medevac of a casualty from a merchant vessel 120 miles off the south west Coast.

The coast guard The coast guard based at Valentia and Shannon has helped the British coast guard co-ordinate the medevac of a casualty from a merchant vessel 120 miles off Ireland's south west coast.

The mission was conducted on Wednesday by the Shannon-based Coast Guard Helicopter R115 with top cover support provided by a British Coastguard fixed-wing aircraft.

The casualty was landed at Cork Airport where he was transferred by ambulance to Cork University Hospital.

Valentia Coast Guard Marine Rescue Coordination Centre (MRSC) and British colleagues had collaborated in planning the mission since late yesterday afternoon as the vessel transited from the Atlantic.

The search area was within the British search and rescue region.

Top cover, which is usually provided by the Air Corps, is where a plane flies over the search site as - in effect - the eye in the sky and can search a much wider area.