25/07/2004

Lifeboat launched three times during busy weekend

On a busy Summer weekend, the volunteer Baltimore lifeboat, Hilda Jarrett was launched three times in less than 36 hours.

The first call to launch the lifeboat came at 16:08 on Saturday 24th July to undertake a medical evacuation from Sherkin Island. Earlier during the afternoon an elderly woman had slipped on the steep hill leading to the pier and sustained head injuries. The woman was given basic medical attention, before the lifeboat took her on board and brought her directly to Baltimore Pier. An ambulance then took the injured woman to hospital for treatment.

The crew for this rescue were - Aidan Bushe, Kieran Cotter, Cathal Cottrell, Brendan Cottrell, Pat Collins and Youen Jacob, assisting on the slip Vincent Roantree , Rianne Smith and Ronnie Carthy..

The second call came at 22.33 that evening when the lifeboat was tasked to investigate sightings of flares off Schull harbour. The Hilda Jarrett proceeded to the area, and carried out a search, but nothing was found. She was returned to the Boathouse at 00:20 on Sunday morning.The volunteer crew for this operation were Kieran Cotter, Jerry Smith, Barry Connolly, Don O’Donovan, Rianne Smith and Vincent Roantree

The third call came again from Sherkin Island when a visitor to the Sherkin Island Regatta needed medical assistance. The Lifeboat was called out at 20:25 on Sunday July 25th and proceeded to the pontoon located beneath the Islanders Rest on Sherkin Island, from where the injured party was stretchered aboard. The lifeboat rendezvoused with an ambulance at Baltimore Pier, which then transferred the medical evacuee to Bantry Hospital. The crew for this rescue were; Kieran Cotter, Aidan Bushe, Cathal Cottrell, Brendan Cottrell, Eoin Ryan, Mossy O’Halloran, Pat Collins and Jerry Smith, assisting at the slip were Vincent Roantree, Barry Connolly and Rianne Smith.

The RNLI is a service that saves lives at sea and is totally reliant on voluntary donations. Last year the Baltimore lifeboat was launched 18 times and a total of 30 people were rescued, so far this year, the lifeboat has been launched 12 times.

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