17/05/2004

Lifeboat carries out medical evacuation on fishing vessel

The Baltimore Lifeboat was launched this evening to take a Spanish fisherman ashore for medical treatment. Bantry Coastguard raised the alert and the Baltimore Lifeboat, the Hilda Jarrett proceeded to a point 5 miles South of the Stags. At 10pm she rendezvoused with the Willing Boy, a forty-metre fishing vessel registered in Plymouth with a Spanish crew on board. They took the ailing fisherman on to the lifeboat and then proceeded to Baltimore where an ambulance was waiting to carry the fisherman to Bantry Hospital.

This has been a busy day for the Baltimore Lifeboat station. Earlier to-day, a crew from the station began a return voyage to Poole in the UK on board the relief lifeboat, the Lord Saltoun.

There is always a lifeboat and crew available at each station in the event of a distress call. The service is crewed by volunteers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Hilda Jarrett was crewed to-night by Ciaran Cotter, coxswain, Aidan Bushe, Ronnie Carthy, JJ Cotter, Pat Collins and Mossie O’Halloran.

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