2007 sees another busy year for Crosshaven

Crosshaven Lifeboat finished 2007 with 44 services in total. These services ranged from the mundane to the life threatening, including serious head injuries, fire on a small powerboat and 12 people on a beach in danger of being cut off by the tide, through to the rescue of two fishermen from their liferaft 14 miles south east of Roches Point at night. In addition to these, the lifeboat launched over 130 times on exercise to ensure the volunteer crew was ready for the different challenges presented by each service.

All at Crosshaven Lifeboat wish to thank their many supporters over the year and look forward to your continued support in 2008.

Long-distance rescue for Crosshaven!

Following on from the largest number ever rescued by Crosshaven Lifeboat on Sunday last, on 11 September Crosshaven Lifeboat rescued 2 fishermen from their liferaft 16 miles from Crosshaven Lifeboat station. Their fishing gear had snagged on an underwater obstruction and they took to a liferaft and activated their EPIRB. The fishermen also contacted the coastguard by mobile phone. The lifeboat proceeded to sea at 2054 and located the raft at 2132 after a brief search. The fishermen used 2 rocket flares and a handheld flare to guide the lifeboat in.

The survivors were taken on board Crosshaven Lifeboat and were not in need of further assistance. Crosshaven then met with Ballycotton Lifeboat and transferred the survivors to the larger vessel. Both lifeboats, along with Courtmacsherry Lifeboat who was diverted from exercise, each had a 14 mile journey back to their stations arriving back around 2300.

It is estimated that Crosshaven Lifeboat covered 34 nautical miles during this service, making it possibly the longest service on record for the station.

September Sunshine requires largest ever rescue by Crosshaven Lifeboat

While afloat overseeing the progress of the Centra Triathlon Swim on a fantastic sunny Sunday afternoon on 9th September, Crosshaven Lifeboat was tasked to Whitebay where the Coastguard had received reports of a large number of people trapped by the incoming tide. Crosshaven Lifeboat proceeded at 1605 and was on scene just a few minutes later, where 12 beachgoers were seen in a bay to the South of the main beach. The incoming tide had trapped them in a cove and when the lifeboat arrived, there was only a few short yards of beach left for them to stand on with over an hour left to high water.


The only way out of the cove was by a dangerous climb up cliffs, a long swim around to the main beach (and several of the party could not swim) or evacuation by sea. Otherwise, they would have faced a wait of over 3 hours before the tide went out far enough to walk around by which time they would have been wet and getting cold as the evening drew in.


Following a brief consultation with the party, the lifeboat crew decided to make two trips to take the entire group off the remote beach and onto the main beach. The lifeboat took 8 and 4 people off in the two short trips. They were all dropped safely to the main beach in Whitebay, and the lifeboat returned to station in Crosshaven. During the service, Crosshaven Coastguard Boat and Cork City Civil Defence also stood by in the event that further assistance was required. This callout shows the importance of local knowledge and being "Beach Aware" - for further information visit http://www.rnli.org.uk/


This is the largest number of casualties Crosshaven Lifeboat has rescued in a single service since the station was set up in 2000. This was the 34th callout this year for Crosshaven Lifeboat which remains one of the busiest around the coast of Ireland.

Open Day finishes with a callout!

As crews were tidying up after another successful Open Day on Saturday 11th August, radio traffic was overheard from a yacht off East Ferry which had just recovered a MOB and required medical assistance. Not waiting for the pagers, a crew quickly changed and the lifeboat was underway in less than three minutes. A 14 year old boy had been hit by the boom and knocked overboard, but was recovered into the yacht's tender and was on the marina when the lifeboat arrived. The casualty was barely concious on arrival and in early stage hypothermia. The crew placed a collar and oxygen on the casualty and monitored him while awaiting the ambulance crew arrived about 10 minutes later.

The lifeboat crew assisted with the transfer of the casualty onto a vacuum matress and spinal board and then up to the ambulance. The boy was released from hospital the next day and thankfully has made a full recovery. This was the lifeboat's 30th callout this year, and demonstrated how important wearing a lifejacket or buoyancy aid at all times on board boats can be - it certainly saved a life on Saturday.

2007 Open Day Sat 11 August

Our annual Open Day will be held this Saturday, 11 August, from 1400 to 1700. Take the opportunity to visit our station, see the lifeboat and meet some of our crew. There will also be lifeboat demonstrations - weather/operational requirements permitting.

Crosshaven Lifeboat posts new blog service!

To make it easier to keep our news up to date, we have launched a new blog! This will enable more regular news postings. You can also subscribe to a news feed below to let you know when there is an update.

Crosshaven Lifeboat Crew awarded Thanks on Vellum

On 27 October 2005, RNLI Crosshaven’s Atlantic 75 class lifeboat (RNLB Rotaract 1 – on station relief duty) was launched following reports of a surfer in difficulty in Fennel’s Bay, southwest of Crosshaven. Whilst en route to Fennell’s Bay in a force 8 gale with a 5 metre swell in Cork Harbour’s approach channel, Helmsman Aidan O’Connor had to continually tack across breaking seas. Although visibility was good the height of the waves made it difficult for the crew to see anything and they plotted their route with great skill and care to prevent capsize and to clear the dangerous swells. When the lifeboat crew sighted the surfer he was extremely fatigued and laying face down on his board 30 metres away from the lifeboat and in danger of being swept onto rocks. Waiting for a large approaching wave, Helmsman Aidan O’Connor brought the lifeboat inshore towards the casualty and his two fellow crewmembers threw the surfer a line. After pulling the casualty onto the lifeboat Aidan once again used the power of the waves to take the lifeboat out of danger and clear of the surfline. The surfer was suffering from exhaustion and hypothermia and the lifeboat crew placed him in a survivor’s lifejacket and thermal blanket. He was then taken by the lifeboat to the safety of Crosshaven. Crosshaven Helmsman Aidan O’Connor will receive the Thanks of the Institution on Vellum for his superior command and boathandling and crewmembers Bernard Lynch (39) and Mark Bushe (38) will each receive vellum service certificates for their role in rescuing the lone surfer.

Annual Station Open Day announced for Sunday 2 August

Crosshaven's annual Station Open day takes place from 1400 to 1800 on Sunday 28 August. Come and visit the station, talk to the crew, tour the lifeboat and enjoy the fun. It will bring an end to the "Lifeboat Weekend" being held by the Crosshaven Vintners with a progressive dinner and lots of other events.

Crosshaven RNLI Branch Coffee Morning at station on 7 July

Crosshaven RNLI fundraising branch are delighted to announce the first ever coffee-morning to be held in the Lifeboat Station. It takes place on 7th July at 11:00. Admission is €2 and the morning includes raffles, spot prizes and a tour of Crosshaven Lifeboat. All welcome.

National Maritime College raises funds for RNLI

A cheque for EUR2,500 was presented to Anne Sweeney (Area Organiser, RNLI) and Phil Maguire-Hähnel (Lifeboat Press Officer, Crosshaven Lifeboat) by the students of the National Maritime College in Ringaskiddy. This will go to fund training of crewmembers, and crewmembers Aidan O'Connor, Ritchie Kelleher and Kevin Higgins took the lifeboat around to the College pontoon to thank the fundraisers for their efforts.