'I think it’s going to be a night for a lifeboat call' — RNLI crewman recalls Fastnet tragedy

A total of 19 people lost their lives in Force 9 winds and merciless conditions, where at least 75 boats in total capsized and five sank in the disaster 45 years ago, writes Sarah Horgan

A helicopter crewman winches up the last of eight crew members rescued amid ferocious gales during the Fastnet tragedy. While the lives of the sailors on board the Regardless and the Marionette were saved, others were not so lucky. File photo: PA

“I think it’s going to be a night for a lifeboat call.” 

Kieran Cotter never realised just how prophetic this casual remark would become among the coastal community of Baltimore, Co Cork. More than 40 years on from the Fastnet tragedy, the words still linger in the air like cigarette smoke. The role the former RNLI man played in that rescue — the largest operation of its kind during peacetime — has cemented his place in maritime history.