RNLI crews respond to emergency incidents in Crosshaven and Kinsale
The boat which caught fire near Crosshaven. Picture: Crosshaven Coast Guard/ Facebook
Lifeboat volunteers from RNLI stations in Crosshaven and Kinsale came to the assistance of stricken boats in two separate emergency incidents on Monday afternoon
At around 12.37pm, volunteers from Crosshaven RNLI received a page from the Valentia Coast Guard to attend a boat fire and a person in the water at a mooring close to the Point Slipway near Crosshaven.
As the RNLI crew prepared to launch, a Royal Cork Yacht Club rib arrived at the Crosshaven RNLI station with the casualty from the water.
The man had sustained serious burns and was brought into the station.
Once inside, he was treated by the RNLI casualty care crew of Jenna O’Shea, Claire Morgan, Caoimhe Foster, Warren Forbes, and James Fegan.
A short time later, the Royal Cork Yacht Club rib returned with a second casualty of the fire — a man who was suffering from minor burns and the effects of smoke inhalation.
After both individuals had received initial casualty care, two ambulances arrived on the scene and took the men to Cork University Hospital (CUH) for further treatment.
The incident was attended by the Crosshaven Fire Brigade, the HSE Ambulance Service, the Crosshaven Coast Guard, the Port of Cork, a private rib, and the Royal Cork Yacht Club safety rib.
An RNLI spokesperson praised the actions of all involved in helping to save the men.
Then, at around 2.45pm, RNLI rescue vessel ‘Miss Sally Anne Baggy II - Never Fear, Baggy’s Here' launched to assist a 20ft sailing boat that had gotten into severe difficulty with two people on board.
When the lifeboat arrived on the scene close to the Old Head of Kinsale, the vessel was taking on water and in danger of sinking.
After assessing the situation, an RNLI Kinsale crewmember climbed onto the bow of the stricken vessel to raise its hull and slow the ingress of water.
This action stabilised the boat, which was taken under tow and brought safely to Kinsale’s main pier.
Kinsale RNLI Lifeboat helm Jonathan Connor praised the actions of the two people onboard and said their actions had facilitated the rescue.
"The two people on board played it by the book and were able to give the Coast Guard the necessary information to enable us to quickly find them," Mr Connor said.
"One had radio training and both were wearing lifejackets, which are essential if you are going on the water."
Monday's incidents were just the latest in a series of callouts for Cork RNLI crews over the Bank Holiday weekend.
An RNLI crew from Kinsale were out on a training exercise off the Cork coast on Saturday morning when they discovered an injured man on the rocks.
As the crew passed by cliffs near Garrettstown at around 9am, they happened upon a man by what a crewman later described as "pure coincidence".
The area where the man, who is aged in his 60s, was found was too difficult for the boat to approach and so two members swam to him.
Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 115 was tasked from Shannon and winched the man aboard to take him for further medical treatment.
Shortly after returning to the lifeboat station, Kinsale RNLI then received a second callout in response to concerns for the safety of a person onboard a small inflatable rib who had been at sea for longer than expected in the area of the Sovereign Islands.
Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 115 was tasked once again, along with members of Oysterhaven and Summercove Coast Guard units.
The vessel was located and escorted back to the safety of Oysterhaven.
Later on Saturday afternoon, a Castletownbere RNLI crew came to the assistance of a woman who had taken ill onboard a boat off the West Cork coast.
Castletownbere RNLI conducted a joint rescue, again with the assistance of Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 115, after being tasked at around 1.45pm.
The RNLI said that the causality was located near Blackball Head and two lifeboat crew volunteers boarded the vessel.
The woman was transferred to the lifeboat, on to which the rescue helicopter winchman was lowered.
The woman was successfully airlifted to the helicopter shortly after 3pm and was taken to Kerry General Hospital for treatment.
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