The volunteer crew of Arranmore RNLI experienced a busy week responding to four requests from Malin Head Coast Guard.
On Wednesday evening last, a member of the public reported the possible sighting of a person in the sea, approximately half a mile from the lifeboat station. The lifeboat launched and conducted a search of a wide area for forty five minutes, but nothing was found.
They are treating it as a false alarm with good intent, saying the person who made the report did the right thing.
On Thursday, the lifeboat assisted in a medical evacuation on Iniskeel island, off Portnoo, on Friday evening the crew went to assist an injured person on Inniscoo island, and on Sunday a medical evacuation from Arranmore itself saw the crew transfer a casualty to a waiting ambulance in Burtonport for assessment at Letterkenny University Hospital.
The volunteer crew of Arranmore RNLI experienced a busy week responding to four requests from Malin Head Coast Guard to assist with three medical evacuations and a possible sighting of a person in difficulty in the sea.
The first call came at 7.46 Wednesday evening on 15 July to a report from a member of the public to a possible sighting of a person in the sea, approximately half a mile from the lifeboat station. The lifeboat launched and conducted a search of a wide area for forty five minutes. Coxswain Kieran O’Donnell said, ‘Having searched the area thoroughly and found no evidence of anyone in trouble, we concluded that this was possibly a false alarm with good intent. The person who reported the incident did the right thing and I commend them, if you see someone in trouble on the coast or on the water please call 999/112 and ask for the Coast Guard.
The second call for the lifeboat came on Thursday 16 July at 3.30 to assist an injured person on Iniskeel island, off Portnoo. On reaching the island the Coast Guard helicopter from Sligo was in the process of airlifting the casualty for further assessment in hospital and the lifeboat returned to anchor following refuelling at Burtonport.
The next call came on Friday evening 17 July at 9.12 to assist an injured person on Inniscoo island. Having attended the casualty the crew then transferred the injured person to the lifeboat and on to Burtonport to a waiting ambulance.
The fourth call of the week for assistance with a medical evacuation from Arranmore came on Sunday evening 19 July at 9.22. The casualty was transferred from the lifeboat to a waiting ambulance in Burtonport for assessment in University Hospital Letterkenny.
Coxswain Kieran O’Donnell continued ‘Firstly, I would like to wish all the casualties a speedy and full recovery and I want to commend the lifeboat crew for their professionalism with casualty care and their dedication in answering the call at all hours.’
Volunteer crew on board the various calls were, Coxswain Kieran O’Donnell. Relief Mechanic John Mc Hugh. Senior station technician Philip Mc Cauley. Sharon O’Donnell. Reamon O’Donnell. Mickey Mc Hugh. Bernard John O’Donnell. Aine Boyle. John Boyle. Joe Doherty. Evan O’Donnell. JJ O’Donnell. Aisling Cox
