Woman who had taken ill and was ‘unresponsive’ rescued from boat in West Cork 

The woman was airlifted to the helicopter at 15:05 and was then taken to Kerry General Hospital. Picture: RNLI

A woman who had taken ill onboard a boat off the coast of West Cork has been rescued.

Castletownbere RNLI conducted a joint rescue with Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 115 after being tasked at around 1.45pm this afternoon.

A report was received of a woman on board a 25-foot angling boat near the Dursey Sound who had taken ill and was “unresponsive”.

The RNLI said that the causality was located near Blackball Head and two lifeboat crew volunteers board the vessel.

“A first aid assessment was undertaken and Oxygen was administered and the casualty became responsive,” the RNLI said.

“The woman was then transferred to the lifeboat. The helicopter winchman was lowered to the deck of the lifeboat and the casualty was airlifted to the helicopter at 15:05 and was then taken to Kerry General Hospital.”

Castletownbere RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Paul Stevens praised the team following the rescue. 

Mr Stevens complimented the coxswain and crew on its rapid response, the high level of teamwork and stated that the rescue was an "excellent example of joint collaboration between the RNLI and the Coast Guard".

Earlier, another RNLI crew out on a training exercise this morning discovered an injured man on the rocks.

RNLI Kinsale were out near the cliffs at Garrettstown at around 10am when they happened upon a man on the rocks in distress.