Busy Easter Weekend for Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat

Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat and it’s volunteer Crews had a busy Easter weekend with callouts on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday of the Easter Weekend.

The first call was to a sailor with a head injury. Volunteer Crew member Gary Heslin boarded the yacht and administered First Aid whilst the yacht was escorted to the Lifeboat Station and the casualty handed over to the Ambulance service.

The second and third incidents were thankfully, false alarms “with good intent”. One being a report of an overturned boat and the other a report of a person in the water in difficulties. These turned out to be Lobster pot markers and an inverted racing mark.

Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat searches in Car plunge drama

Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat was paged at 18.41 last evening (Sunday 8 March) to reports of a vehicle in the water having slipped off the cross river ferry at Glenbrook. The Lifeboat, helmed by David Venner with crew Kevin Higgins and Ian Venner was launched at 18.46 and made best speed to the incident. On arrival it was confirmed that one person had made it ashore, and that one other person was missing. A search was initiated immediately by the Lifeboat, who were then joined on scene by the Ballycotton RNLI Lifeboat and the Coastguard Helicopter from Waterford. At 21.45, a new team of Con Crowley, Mark Bushe and Vincent Fleming replaced the tired and cold crew until the search was called off for the night. The lifeboat Continued the search for the next two days.

Update: Listen to Alan Barton, Crosshaven Lifeboat Operations Manager, on RTE Radio 1 discussing the incident http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0309/morningireland_av.html?2503219,null,209 (requires Realplayer).

Six-One News: http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0309/6news_av.html?2504039,null,230 (requires Realplayer)

Nine News: http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0309/9news_av.html?2504208,null,230 (requires Realplayer)

Photo: Helm David Venner walks past the car ferry on way to a mutli-services briefing to co-ordinate the search.

Photo2: Kieran Coniry, Geraldine Farrell and Kevin Higgins continue the search the next day

Lucky rescue for missing diver

At 1614 today Crosshaven Lifeboat crew were paged to a report of a diver failing to surface 5 miles south east of Roches Point. Rescue 117, Ballycotton Lifeboat and Crosshaven Coastguard boat were also tasked to the incident, and the motor vessels Jon Boy and Hyland Lass, along with a 7.5m rib, responded to the Coastguard's Mayday Relay.

On arriving at the last reported position of the dive rib, there was no sign of the boat. While Crosshaven Lifeboat crew discussed the situation with the "Jon Boy", a "Surface Marker Buoy" was spotted by the helm of the lifeboat about 200 yards away. Crosshaven Lifeboat was quickly alongside the missing diver and recovered him to the lifeboat. He had surfaced in a controlled manner but was separated from the support rib. All units other than Crosshaven & Ballycotton were then stood down while the dive rib was located and the diver re-united with his buddy.

Speaking later, Helm Ian Venner said "the diver was extremely lucky - he had two SMBs with him and this helped us spot him very quickly. All too often missing diver incidents have a different outcome but today the diver & his buddy were happily reunited. It reinforces the need to be properly prepared - you can never predict when your life will depend on your safety equipment. That's why SeaCheck, a free safety equipment check, can prove so useful".

Crosshaven Lifeboat rescues boat from Whitebay beach

At 15.22 on Saturday Crosshaven Lifeboat crew was requested to launch to the assistance of a 23' motorboat reported on the rocks at Whitebay in Cork Harbour. Under the command of Kieran Coniry, the lifeboat was underway six minutes later with its crew of volunteers on board. On arriving on scene, the lifeboat found the casualty vessel with one adult and two young girls on board firmly aground on the beach in Whitebay. As there was no immediate danger to life, an attempt was made to refloat the motorboat using the lifeboat and another large rib, "Eyecathcer" who had also responded to the Mayday. By coincidence, Eyecatcher had Crosshaven Lifeboat Sea Safety Officer Jon Mathers and Kinsale Lifeboat Crew Annette Coughlan on board. Crewmembers Ian Venner and Kevin Higgins swam through the two-foot surf to bring towlines to the stricken vessel.

After several attempts, the boat was refloated and then escorted back to Crosshaven by the lifeboat. Speaking later about the rescue, Kieran said "they were very lucky where they went aground as it was all soft sand. However, they all were wearing lifejackets and had a VHF radio to raise the alarm. It just goes to show you have to be prepared and that's why the RNLI gives a free SeaCheck service".

Crosshaven Lifeboat has now launched on service 26 times so far in 2008.

Four calls in two days for Crosshaven

With just under half the year gone, Crosshaven Lifeboat has a total of 25 services to date, with 4 over a 2-day period on the weekend of the 21 & 22 June. Early Saturday morning, the boat was launched to a powerboat lost & aground in poor visibility. Later that afternoon, a 30' yacht was disabled off Crosshaven and was towed in. On Sunday, while on exercise, the crew responded to reports of a 34' yacht dragging moorings in Aghada. The weekend ended on a tragic note, however. At 2037 on Sunday night, the lifeboat was tasked to reports of a 13 year old swimmer in difficulty in the River Lee in Cork City. Cork City Fire Service, the Gardaí, Crosshaven Coastguard unit and Rescue 117 also responded to the incident. Despite an extensive search, no trace of the swimmer was found until the Naval Service diving team recovered his body at about midnight close to where he was last seen.

With the summer months of July & August ahead, and over 400 yachts visiting for Cork Week, it looks like the rest of the season will continue to place demands on the volunteer crew of Crosshaven Lifeboat.

Hectic weekend for Crosshaven LB

Last weekend Saturday 13th of April there were 3 callouts. The weekend started with the boat attending a National Civil Defence Exercise (more details below). Not long after the crew left the station, the “Miss Betty” once again launched to an inflatable dinghy in trouble off Roches point area with one person on board. The dinghy was taking on water and it was escorted in by the lifeboat to Crosshaven. Later that day a second call was to a sailing dinghy, which had capsized off Aghada pier with 3 people aboard. When the lifeboat arrived on scene, they found the vessel on the rocks at east ferry, with the pilot boat standing by. The lifeboat crew went ashore and assisted the young sailors and then safely escorted the boat and crew back to Aghada to awaiting family.

On Sunday there was a small boat on the rocks again near Roches point. When the lifeboat arrived on scene they found the people on board the boat had got themselves off the rocks. They had snared a rope around the propeller of the boats engine but had managed to free it prior to the lifeboat arriving.

The lifeboat was on the water again later that day as part of training exercises for new crew, and to provide water safety for the walkers for the charity walk organised by the Carrigaline Lions club from Carrigaline to Crosshaven.

Other harbour activity this weekend saw the Cork Civil defence host a national exercise on the water. 19 teams were put through their paces with various disaster scenarios in the vicinity of the National Maritime College and Spike Island. The exercises also involved other voluntary services from the locality, Crosshaven Coast Guard and Crosshaven Lifeboat Sea Safety officer Jon Mathers, who with a team of advisors from the station, did a safety check on all the boats before they launched for the exercise. Dr John Murphy, Lifeboat Medical Officer (Crosshaven) and Helm Ian Venner provided some of the teams with training in recovery of people from the water using a mannequin dummy. For the Civil Defence the main purpose of exercise was to work on communications and working as teams.

Next week end April 19th the Irish Coast guard hosts a series of work shops “Safety on the water” at the National Maritime College of Ireland. A Sea Safety team from Crosshaven Lifeboat Station will have a stand at the event. They will be available to talk to boat users about the free services the Royal National Lifeboat Institution provides to all leisure boat users of a sea check for their boat.

The other calls this year, in general have been to boats going adrift in bad weather and mechanical problems.

For your free Sea Check contact Jon Mathers (m) 0862588714. email: rnliseasafety@eircom.net

Open Day announced for May 18th

Sunday, May 18th, sees Crosshaven Lifeboat Station opening its doors again this year to all friends and supporters. On the day there will be face-painting, entertainment, sea safety messages, a chance to meet the crew (and maybe Stormy Stan) as well as regular demonstrations by the volunteer crew on board "Miss Betty".

More details will be announced closer to the date.

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.