Baltimore Inshore Lifeboat in medical evacuation from Cape Clear Island

The RNLI inshore lifeboat, Bessie, was requested by Valencia Coastguard to go to the assistance of a man who was in urgent need of medical attention when he had two of his fingers severed in a boating accident.

The man was on Cape Clear Island on a chartered yacht at the time of the incident. Helm Youen Jacob and crew Paul O’Driscoll and Ronan Callanan launched the inshore lifeboat shortly after 2pm and reached Cape Clear within 15 minutes – a journey that would have taken 40 minutes by ferry. Having assessed the medical condition of the man, they returned directly to Baltimore Harbour where an ambulance was waiting to bring the injured man to Cork University Hospital.

Bessie first arrived at Baltimore station on April 9th 2008. She is being temporarily located at the pier and will ultimately be slip launched pending development of the boathouse at Bull Point.

The Atlantic (B class) lifeboats are rigid inflatables with twin outboard motors and can operate in conditions up to near gale Force 7. They were first developed at Atlantic College in Wales and then by the RNLI. They provide a rapid response to inshore emergencies.

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