Toasty Toes for volunteer RNLI crew

When local Businessman and keen sailor, Jim McGinley, heard that a number of the volunteer crew at Crosshaven RNLI were using Heat Holder socks when on Miss Betty, the inshore lifeboat (ILB), He decided to do something for all of the crew.

Jim, Who’s company distributes the thermal socks, arrived at the lifeboat Station with 30 pairs of the socks to be distributed to the crew and shore helpers for those long cold nights when the lifeboat is at sea on service.

Thinking of the Ladies in the crew, he donated socks in pink as well as blue and green !

Alan Barton, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Crosshaven RNLI, thanked Jim and his Company for his generous donation which will ‘no doubt, give extra warmth and comfort to the crews whilst on service in cold and arduous conditions’

Photograph Crosshaven RNLI/Jon Mathers

Back Lifeboat Operations Manager Alan Barton, Jim McGinley. Front, Lifeboat Crew, Con Crowley, David Venner and Alan Venner

Fisherman missing after boat flounders

A day of tragedy and drama unfolded today (20 Jan) when the volunteers of Crosshaven RNLI Station were tasked to an incident where a small fishing boat with two persons onboard had capsized close to the shoreline, West of Ringabella Bay. The informant was the Skipper of the vessel after he had
managed to swim to shore and run through fields to raise the alarm. His crewman was missing.

A major rescue operation got underway with the Crosshaven RNLI inshore lifeboat, Ballycotton RNLI Lifeboat, the Naval Vessel LE Emer, the Coastguard helicopter Rescue 117, Crosshaven Coastguard unit and many privateb fishing and leisure craft all taking part.

Unfortunately, the missing crewman has not yet been found, Although Crosshaven and Ballycotton lifeboats are planning a two hour low water search between 2300 and 0100. The full search will resume tomorrow (Friday)
at first light.

Shortly after the crews returned to Crosshaven for dinner, the pagers again activated at 1909, this time to another 25' fishing vessel near Roches Point taking in water. Both Crosshaven and Ballycotton Lifeboats launched and placed salvage pumps aboard the casualty and stemmed the ingress of water enough to place the vessel under tow to Cobh, where she was safely berthed.

Crosshaven RNLI lifeboat finishes 2010 with double callouts

Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat has finished 2010 with two services on the last day of the first decade,making 2010 the busiest year of its 10 year existence.

The Volunteer crew members were awoken by pagers just after 4am, and requested to launch to the aid of a woman on rocks near Myrtleville. A combined rescue operation by the RNLI, Fire Service, Crosshaven Coastguard and the HSE brought the women to safety and onwards to hospital, where she is recovering. The volunteer crews headed back to their beds at 6.30 in the morning.

The afternoon peace was shattered by the shrill sound of pagers, again calling the crew. Valentia Marine rescue Centre informed the station of a 38 foot commercial fishing vessel which had become entangled in its own nets. The volunteer crew of Con Crowley, Gary Heslin and Vincent Fleming made their way through a moderate to rough sea to the vessel which was
near Power Head. As the vessels nets were also attached to the seabed, the nets had to be cut away before the Lifeboat could establish a tow back to Crosshaven, arriving some two hours later.

Lifeboat responds to sinking fishing boat

A major rescue operation swung into operation on Saturday Morning ( 13 Nov) outside Cork Harbour when a 27’ fishing boat sank in minutes with two people on board.

At 11.19am , Valentia Coast Guard alerted Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat that the fishing Vessel was in serious trouble off the Church Bay area and requested an immediate launch. Crosshaven lifeboat launched within 5 minutes and with its volunteer crew of Kieran Coniry, Dan O’Donoghue and Vincent Fleming, made good progress through a two metre sea swell arriving on scene to find the fishing boat had at this stage sank and the crew safely in the Liferaft.

The Ballycotton RNLI all weather Lifeboat was at sea on exercise at the time and immediately altered course to the incident. Crosshaven Coast Guard were also tasked and en route. When it became clear that the two crewmen were safely aboard the Crosshaven Lifeboat, the other emergency services were stood down. Crosshaven Lifeboat then brought the two fisherman back to Crosshaven.

Whilst it is unknown what caused the fishing boat to flounder, the crew had little time to deploy their liferaft and make an emergency call before the boat sank.

Crosshaven busiest inshore lifeboat in Ireland this summer

Preliminary figures for summer 2010, issued today (22 September) by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), show the charity’s Irish lifeboats launched on average five times every day during June, July and August.

RNLI lifeboats were requested to launch 450 times during June, July and August. The busiest station in Ireland with an Inshore Lifeboat was Crosshaven with 19 launches. The busiest “All weather Lifeboat” was the Aran Islands lifeboat with 22 launches.

The figures come on the back of a significant investment by the charity in the Irish lifeboat fleet. New inshore lifeboats have been put on service in Dun Laoghaire, Kilrush in Clare and Fenit in Kerry. These new lifeboats are fast, efficient and technically equipped to reach casualties faster and to provide increased cover around the coast.

Commenting on the RNLI summer lifeboat launches, RNLI Training Divisional Inspector, Owen Medland, said, ‘It has been a busy Summer for Irish lifeboat crews. Over the course of those three months there have been a number of dramatic and challenging callouts for our volunteers. This summer RNLI Sea Safety volunteers have run a number of lifejacket clinics and flare demonstrations around the coast and at inland waterways to advise all water users on how to stay safe on the water.’

RNLI Operations Director, Michael Vlasto, added: ‘The summer is always busy as more and more people opt to relax at the coast. The figures show that our volunteers are called on much more during this time and the fact they respond every time the pager goes off shows just how committed they are to saving lives at sea.Many of our lifeboat volunteers are also particularly busy at this time with their day jobs as many of them work in the tourism industry, so we are especially grateful to them in summer – and to their employers who allow them to stop work at the “bleep of a pager” to help others, and given the current economic climate for businesses this is a great contribution to the charity.’

The RNLI offers free all-year-round safety advice for sea users and beach visitors at www.rnli.ie

Crosshaven RNLI assists yacht on fire

This afternoon (Saturday 28 Aug) , Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat went to the aid of a 27’ Yacht with a fire in the engine compartment that was being towed into Crosshaven by a passing Rib. On scene, Volunteer crew member Warren Forbes (a F/T Fireman) went aboard and checked the hatch. He decided that the amount of smoke in the cabin area was too dangerous to enter without BA Equipment. He transferred 3 of the yachts crew to the lifeboat and remained on board with the skipper.

Crosshaven Lifeboat took over the tow to Crosshaven Pier, where they had requested the Fire Brigade to meet them. On arrival at the pier, the Fire Brigade entered the yachts cabin wearing breathing apparatus and extinguished the fire which was thought to be in the soundproofing material around the engine. The yacht has suffered extensive smoke damage internally. The volunteer helm on this service was Ian Venner with Vincent Fleming. The Crosshaven Coast Guard Patrol RIB also attended the incident.

Crosshaven Lifeboat in 3 hour long distance service

Crosshaven RNLI Inshore Lifeboat undertook one of their longest distance services when they were tasked at 17.02 to a 10m Rib on passage from Falmouth to Baltimore, 12 miles south of Roches Point, when one of the crew suffered a suspected spinal injury. The Lifeboat transferred crewman Kevin Higgins onto the casualty vessel who assessed the injured crewman in radio consultation with the lifeboat Station Doctor. The lifeboat and RIB then proceeded to Crosshaven at a slow 5 knots arriving some 2 hours later. The casualty was then transferred to Cork University Hospital by ambulance. The helm on this Service was Ian Venner with Ritchie Kelleher.

Service to 18' yacht 10 June 2010

This evening the volunteer Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat went to the aid of an eighteen foot yacht on passage from the Kinsale area to Crosshaven. The yacht with two persons on board suffered mechanical failure and was having trouble making way into a headwind.

Initially, the yacht was assisted by the motor Cruiser “Callie” who took them on initial tow and informed the Coastguard in Valentia who made the decision to Launch the Crosshaven lifeboat at 7pm. The Volunteer crew made up of Helm Con Crowley with Vincent Fleming and Ritchie Kelleher made their way to the rendezvous between the Cork Bouy and Rennies Point and relieved the motor cruiser of the tow. Crewman Ritchie Kelleher boarded the yacht and helped rig the tow for the 40 minute journey back to Crosshaven where the yacht was secured.

Helm Con Crowley guides the disabled yacht back to Crosshaven whilst Crewman Ritchie Kelleher assists on the yacht.

Crosshaven Lifeboat Rescues owner and dog from mud bank

A women out walking her dog had a lucky escape this afternoon when she became trapped in mud near Hop Island in Cork harbour on a rising tide.
The women went after her dog which ran onto the mud banks and became
trapped. With the tide rising rapidly, The Crosshaven volunteer RNLI Lifeboat was launched
at 15.09 and crewed by volunteers Vincent Fleming, Bernard Lynch and Dennis Cronin.
The Coastguard Helicopter was also scrambled as were Crosshaven Coastguard and the Fire Service.
When the Lifeboat arrived, crewman Bernard Lynch entered the water to reassure the women who was by now
Waist deep in water and managed to extricate her and take her and her dog onto the Lifeboat. The lifeboat crew
landed the lady to the care of Ambulance personnel.

Four callouts in a week for Crosshaven RNLI

At 2245 this evening, Crosshaven Volunteer RNLI Lifeboat was launched to rescue a 26’ motor boat with two people on board which had suffered mechanical problems in Lough Mahon near Blackrock Castle . On arrival it was seen that the motor boat had grounded on the falling tide. With no possibilty of recovering the vessel, the Lifeboat took off the crew and landed them ashore. An attempt to refloat the vessel will be made around 10am tomorrow (Friday) at high tide. On this service the lifeboat was helmed by Gary Heslin with fellow volunteers Vincent Fleming and new crewman on his first emergency call, Jonathan Grey.

This service brings the total call outs to four this week. On Sunday last, two callouts were to vessels with mechanical problems and on Wednesday evening the lifeboat attended a motor boat which broke free from its moorings and went aground. A spokesman for Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat
Station “urged all leisure users in the harbour area to make sure their vessels are mechanically fit for sea and they are carrying enough fuel to get them back to shore”