Woman trapped in remote cove by incoming tide saved in 'challenging' Cork rescue

In what was a challenging rescue, the Crosshaven RNLI lifeboat crew had to anchor the lifeboat and veer down into a a rock strewn gulley whilst being buffeted by 3 to 4 foot waves. 12 October 2022.

A woman was rescued from almost certain death last night in a dramatic Cork Harbour rescue.

The woman was taken to safety by the crew of the Crosshaven RNLI lifeboat after she became trapped in a remote cove by a fast incoming tide.

The drama unfolded just before 6.30pm when the woman, believed to be in her late 20s, made a frantic phone call to the Coast Guard saying she had become trapped by the tide in a rocky inlet close to White Bay, near Roche’s Point.

She was being lashed by waves and was in immediate danger.

The Crosshaven lifeboat pagers activated at 6.25pm and the boat, under the command of Alan Venner, with Claire Morgan, Jonny Bermingham, and James Fegan on board, rushed to the scene, arriving shortly before dusk.

'Challenging' rescue

RNLI spokesman Jon Mathers described the conditions and the rescue operation as “challenging”.

The crew had to anchor the lifeboat and veer down, or reverse, their boat into a rock-strewn gulley while being buffeted by waves up to four feet high.

The Guileen Coast Guard unit, which was out on exercises in the area at the time, was also tasked to the scene.

They located the casualty as darkness fell and launched a drone which provided much-needed illumination of the rescue area from the cliff tops.

Mr Bermingham entered the water and made his way to the casualty and was reassuring her as Mr Venner also went ashore to help.

The woman was showing signs of hypothermia and she had to be helped, through the surging tide, to the lifeboat, which then took her to safety.

An ambulance crew met the lifeboat at the station and the casualty was handed into the care of the National Ambulance Service.

Lifeboat doctor Dr John Murphy also attended the casualty at the station.

Mr Mathers described it as a great outcome for all involved, given the challenging circumstances.

Spirit Award

Meanwhile, Crosshaven Coast Guard has been named the latest monthly winner of the Cork International Hotel Community Spirit Award.

Crosshaven is one of 44 Coast Guard units around the coast of Ireland and is made up of volunteers from the local community. 

The unit is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. 

The volunteers also provide assistance during events in and around Cork Harbour and prepare landing zones for the Coast Guard Search and Rescue Helicopters. 

They operated from a small shed from 1888 until 2013 when they moved into a state-of-the-art facility in the town.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney presented the award, stating: "I have a long personal association with Crosshaven Coast Guard, and I'm a huge admirer of the work they do and the sacrifices they make."