Community News Update Summer 2009

Since the last edition of the community news, both the all weather lifeboat and inshore lifeboat have been involved in rescues. During the early hours of Wednesday 17th June, the all weather lifeboat, Hilda Jarrett, responded to an alert raised by a French father and son who were taking part in a race to the Fastnet. The pair got into difficulty, seven miles south of Baltimore Harbour, when a large wave hit their Mini Transat yacht, throwing them into the water. The yacht, Petit Bonum, had left Douarnez in France the previous Sunday and was en route to the Fastnet as part of a fleet of seventy-five race boats. After the wave had struck, the men who were wearing safety harnesses scrambled back on board, but their mast had been broken by the wave. With the yacht in total darkness, the experienced sailors alerted the Coast Guard at 2.35am. On arrival at the scene the lifeboat crew checked on the condition of the crew and the yacht. They quickly established a tow, bringing the crew and their damaged yacht back to Baltimore Harbour. The two men, Monsieur Guillaume Bonniot and his father Laurent commended Coxswain Kieran cotter and his crew for their fast and professional response.

The inshore lifeboat Bessie was involved in three rescues. On 23rd May a dramatic rescue was carried out on the mudbanks of the river Ilen. A family motor boat had been stranded in the mud on a falling tide presenting an unusual challenge for rescue services. The mudbanks were surrounded by water making rescue from land impossible, whilst rescue from the sea was also restricted. Helm, Micheál Cottrell decided to attempt a rescue and lifeboat crewman Ronan Callanan, volunteered to cross the 80 feet of deep estuarial mud, to reach the stricken vessel. Ronan waded through the mud to the family group consisting of a father and two children, who were inadequately prepared for an overnight aboard the boat. Having run out an anchor to secure the vessel, Ronan and the single adult board devised a plan to bring the family to safety. As carrying the children across the mud was deemed impractical. Ronan and the children’s father decided they could cross the mud by utilising the body boards on the boat as stepping-stones to safety. Everyone took a body board on which they could spread their weight across the mud. The fifth board was used to allow a progressive further step to safety. Making slow but steady progress the group approached the waiting lifeboat. Helm Micheál Cottrell, and crewman Paul O’Driscoll, assisted the exhausted foursome aboard the inshore lifeboat. Relieved and unharmed the family were brought to Oldcourt near Skibbereen. Crewman Ronan Callanan said, ‘it was one of the most tiring things he had every done’.

On a busy June bank holiday Monday Bessie was called to the assistance of a motorsailing boat aground with 5 on board. The Cornish Shrimper had been making her way from Cunnamore to the Skeams Islands, when she got into difficulty running aground on a treacherous rocky lee shore. When the engine failed to start a general alert was put out by radio. A nearby rib, took four of those on board ashore to safety. The remaining individual managed to pass a stern line to another small dinghy and then himself took a line ashore, to secure the boat. When Bessie arrived on scene at 15:05, Helm Youen Jacob assessed the situation and manoeuvred the inshore lifeboat sufficiently close to the rocks to enable crewman Paul O’Driscoll to swim to the shore, from where he was able to climb on board the stricken vessel. He then raised the centreboard to allow the boat to be pulled clear. Bessie took the weight on the stern line and towed the casualty off the rocks. Having determined that there was no apparent damage, the lifeboat towed the motorsailer safely to her moorings off Cunnamore Pier.

On Friday, 03 July, Bessie, towed a 30ft yacht to safety from Long Island. A mayday alert had been issued by Bantry radio at 12:26 when the vessel with one crew on board got into difficulties on the Southwest tip of the Island, near Goat Island Sound. A passing RIB, having heard the alert on VHF radio, went to the scene and took on board the single crewman, who had abandoned the yacht and rowed in a dinghy to the RIB. When the lifeboat arrived on scene the abandoned vessel had been dismasted and had experienced damage to her rudder. There had been no apparent damage to her hull. Helm Kieran Collins and crewmen Youen Jacob and Micheal Cottrell, assessed how they could safely tow the yacht clear of the shore. In a 2.5 metre swell, they approached the stricken craft. Youen passed a towline through the pulpit and Bessie took the strain towing the yacht clear of the rocks. They continued the two for 0.5 miles to open water. The lifeboat crew cut the mast and rigging free. Fenders were attached to the rig so that it could be retrieved later. The lifeboat then towed the yacht to Schull, where she was left alongside the pier.

The Lifeboat Open Day was held on June 28th on a rather damp and dismal day. Hilda Jarrett was launched from the boathouse and brought alongside the North Pier adjacent to the inshore lifeboat compound. At 4:30pm as winds increased an exercise was carried out with Baltimore Sailing Club. The exercise scenario simulated multiple dinghy capsizes requiring medical evacuation of a casualty. Seven volunteer sailors took to the water on Topaz sailing dinghies and when given the signal by Head Instructor Aoife McCarthy capsized their dinghies off the North pier. The inshore lifeboat came on scene and dealt with the medical casualty first, transferring him to the all weather lifeboat in a stretcher. Once this had been completed the remaining six sailors were taken onboard Bessie and then transferred to Hilda Jarret , which brought them back to shore. Baltimore Sailing Club Stewards and Instructors then towed the abandoned dinghies back to the slip. Thanks to all involved in the successful operation of this complex exercise.

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