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For more detailed information regarding incidents
and press releases contact:

Toby Campbell 027 51624

In order to improve download times for this page, all press releases prior to 1st January 2004 have been moved to an archive. Click here to view the archive.

Press Releases

Bantry Lifeboat Open Day – Saturday June 28th

It's 21 years since the first Bantry Lifeboat took to the water and to celebrate our coming of age we're holding an open day on Saturday June 28th from 2 - 5pm.

Members of the Association will be on hand to show visitors around our search and rescue facility, and show you the protective clothing worn by crews on board the lifeboat; search and recovery equipment; and specialist navigation and communications equipment. We'll also be giving you an opportunity to take a ride around the inner bay on the St. Brendan - our 7m purpose built search and rescue lifeboat that was commissioned just last year (the only time we hope you'll ever ride in it!)

There will also be plenty of information and advice available regarding safe conduct on or near the water and important information on how you can prevent accidents from happening and what you can do if you're unlucky enough to be involved in or see an accident on the water.

Information about how to join Bantry Inshore Search & Rescue Assocation will also be available if you would like to help us in this valuable work.

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Bantry Lifeboat Annual Dinner Dance

The Christmas and New Year Festivities are over for another year, but there's still one last chance to push the boat out (sorry about that one) before you settle back into the humdrum routine of normal life for the rest of 2008!

BISRA's fund-raising efforts for 2008 get under way with the popular annual Dinner Dance, which this year is being held on Friday 18th January at the West Lodge Hotel, Bantry. Tickets costing €25 can be bought from any member of the Committee, or from fast.net, Bridge Street, Bantry.

The dinner starts at 8.30 pm, and continues with dancing to the music of Colum Cronin, followed by a disco. All are welcome to what promises to be another enjoyable BISRA social event, including our famous not-to-be-missed "no lose" tombola with some great prizes to be won.

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Lifeboat used to transfer Doctor to Whiddy Island

The Bantry Lifeboat was launched yesterday in response to an emergency on Whiddy Island. Responding to a request from the Irish Coastguard at 11.35 am on Thursday, the "St. Brendan" transferred a doctor to the island to attend a casualty who had been injured. The casualty was later transferred to Bantry Hospital.

"Facilitating this kind of response is an important part of the remit of BISRA, and the speed of the lifeboat's response which resulted in a doctor arriving on Whiddy Island within 10 minutes of the request being received at the boathouse is a further demonstration of the dedication and professionalism of the Bantry lifeboat crews" said a BISRA spokesman.

No further assistance being required, the "St. Brendan" stood down at approximately mid-day.

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BISRA will be holding an open day on Saturday 30th June from 2pm to 5pm at the Boat House, Railway Pier, Bantry. All are welcome. The day will mark the official launch of the recently acquired MST 750 lifeboat, which bears the same name as its predecessor – St. Brendan.

Volunteer crew members will be on hand to show visitors around the Boat House where the lifeboats and other facilities available to the Lifeboat operation will be on display. Weather permitting, crew members will also be demonstrating boat handling and other life-saving skills in the Bay, and there will be an opportunity for children of all ages to take a ride around the Bay in the new boat.

"BISRA relies on the generosity of the public for most of its funding, and open days like these provide a valuable opportunity for the Association to demonstrate how that money is spent" said a BISRA spokesman. "We are looking forward to seeing as many people as possible on Saturday."

A spokesman for BISRA said "Open days like this provide an opportunity for everyone in the community to see how the money that is so generously donated to BISRA is put to use and we are looking forward to seeing as many people as possible on Saturday."

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BISRA Takes Centre Stage in Spectacular
Search & Rescue Event

Click here for more photos

Bantry Harbour was the scene of a spectacular search and rescue exercise yesterday afternoon when Bantry Inshore Search & Rescue Association was joined by the Irish Naval Service, the Irish Coast Guard Search & Rescue helicopter, CASA aircraft and Cliff & Coastal Rescue Units, Castletownbere RNLI, Civil Defence, the HSE Ambulance Service and the Irish Rescue Dogs Association. The exercise was co-ordinated by the Irish Coast Guard as a public demonstration of the search and rescue facilities that are available in Ireland.

The afternoon began with a fly-past from the Search & Rescue helicopter and the CASA aircraft, and was followed by a series of simulated rescue operations in the inner bay area. Bantry Inshore Search & Rescue Association played a prominent part in the event, and carried out the first exercise involving the recovery of an exhausted canoeist from his overturned kayak, who was then taken by stretcher to the Railway Pier where the HSE ambulance was waiting to take him to hospital. The simulation showed the entire process from launch of the lifeboat to recovery by the ambulance, with the VHF radio messages being relayed over a public address system to an audience of several hundreds who had gathered on both piers and along the Abbey Road to view the spectacle.

A man overboard emergency was then simulated with the victim recovered by Castletownbere RNLI, who was then winched aboard the rescue helicopter for rapid transfer to hospital. Meanwhile Cliff & Coastal units from Castletownbere and Goleen demonstrated the rescue by stretcher from shore to cliff top of a fallen climber.

A fire on board a fishing vessel required the services of the CASA aircraft which dropped a liferaft to the crew who had abandoned their vessel, and who were then recovered by Castletownbere RNLI. Their burning vessel was attended to by a fire-fighting team from the Naval Service vessel Roisín which had been at anchor in the Bay throughout the day.

A second exercise involving BISRA saw the rescue of an exhausted wind-surfer to the St. Brendan with the casualty being recovered to the Railway Pier where a doctor was in attendance.

After all the exercises had been completed, there was a unique opportunity for the public to take photographs of all the vessels and aircraft that had taken part, as they lined up alongside the pier for a rare photo-shoot opportunity.

At a reception following the exercise, acting Director of the Irish Coast Guard, Norman Fulham, praised the professionalism of all the rescue services who had taken part, adding that the event had been a great success which had helped to raise the profile of the marine emergency services and demonstrated the degree of co-ordination that exists between all of the different emergency services when dealing with marine emergencies.

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New BISRA Lifeboat Launched

BISRA is pleased to announce the launch of its brand new lifeboat – the first new craft ever to have been owned and operated by the Association. The boat was launched on December 18th, following extensive sea trials over the previous weekend. BISRA has been raising funds throughout 2006 to replace the previous boat – an Atlantic 21 – which has seen five years service with the Association, and a further 20 years with the RNLI before BISRA acquired it.

The new boat – an MST 750 Rescue boat – has been purpose-built to BISRA's own specification at a cost of €140,000, and incorporates the latest safety and navigation technology, ensuring that Bantry is in a position to provide the best possible assistance to anyone who finds themselves in difficulty in the waters of Bantry Bay.

BISRA would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have so generously contributed to the fund-raising effort. Although the new boat is in service as of yesterday, fund-raising is continuing and it is hoped that the Association will once again be debt-free some time in 2007.

As a result of the acquisition of the new boat, BISRA is now seeking a buyer for the previous boat which is no longer in service. Anyone interested in buying the old boat – which would make an excellent dive boat – should contact Capt. Trevor Hughes on 027 51590.

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The festive season got off to a musical start last night in the Library of Bantry House, which once again provided the most magnificent of settings for the annual BISRA carol singing event. Over 150 people, young and old, turned out in the most unseasonable weather imaginable, to join in what has become something of a Bantry Christmas tradition.

The children stole the show when they took to the stage to sing "Away in a Manger" and "Little Donkey", and there were some fine performances from St.Finbarr's Church Choir, whilst the most moving moment was provided by the crews of the Bantry Lifeboat with their rendition of Phil Coulter's tribute to the Lifeboat services, "Home from the Sea".

However, the key to the enduring popularity of this event is audience participation; for this is not a carol service with a religious theme, nor is it a carol concert given by well-practised musicians. No, this is a fireside sing-along, around the piano, in a particularly splendid drawing room, and all you need to join in is a willingness to take a deep breath and sing your socks off. If you haven't made it to one of these evenings yet, make a note in your diary now for next year!

In his annual tribute to the people of Bantry who so generously support the work of BISRA, Honorary Secretary Captain Trevor Hughes took the opportunity to announce that the new lifeboat for which BISRA has been raising funds throughout much of 2006, has now arrived in Bantry and is expected to go into service before the end of the year. The new boat has been purpose-built to BISRA's own specification, and is the first brand new boat to be acquired by the Association. At a cost of €140,000 it represents a major investment for BISRA and the town, and BISRA is well on its way to achieving its fund-raising target for this, and last night's event raised a further €1350 to add to the total. During 2006, the Bantry Lifeboat "St. Brendan" has responded to a total of seven emergencies and helped save five lives.

Special thanks are due to Egerton Shellswell White for providing such a superb venue, to Roisín Mulcahy for leading the singing and to Gerard O'Sullivan for his piano accompaniment - but most of all, to the people of Bantry and their children, for turning up and making this a really special, family Christmas affair.

BISRA would like to take this opportunity to extend its best wishes to all readers for a happy, prosperous and safe new year. Our next event is the annual Dinner and Dance in the West Lodge Hotel, Bantry, on Friday 26th January 2007, to which all are cordially invited. Tickets are available from any member of the Committee, or from fast.net, Bridge Street, Bantry.

The photo shown here, along with a number of others of the children on stage on Sunday night can be viewed and downloaded from the BISRA website - www.bantrylifeboat.com

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Minister visits Bantry Lifeboat

Pat the Cope Gallagher T.D, Marine Minister at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, met with BISRA Honorary Secretary Captain Trevor Hughes, Chairman Dr. Matt Murphy, and Press & PR Officer Chris O'Shea today during a visit to the South West. The  Minister was shown round the BISRA Boathouse where he inspected the recently completed building work and praised what he described as "the fantastic voluntary contribution made by Bantry Inshore Search and Rescue". When asked about the number of emergency call-outs that the Bantry Lifeboat has responded to, Captain Hughes replied that using the criteria employed by the RNLI and other emergency organisations, BISRA has saved over 35 lives since it was established in 1987.

Whilst the majority of BISRA's funding is raised from the contributions of local people, the Association does receive a small annual grant from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, and it was therefore appropriate for the Minister to visit and see how government money is spent. He was impressed by the standard of facilities offered by BISRA, particularly the extensions to the original boathouse which provides a purpose-built control room and crew changing facilities, all of which, Captain Hughes explained, had been built using direct labour and the voluntary services of BISRA members, which enabled a first class facility to be provided at a fraction of the cost of using a building contractor.

At the end of his short visit, the Minister commented that the safety of people using the waters around Bantry Bay was in capable hands and congratulated BISRA for its continuing efforts to promote water safety and save lives.

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Lifeboat launched to assist crippled boat in Bantry Bay

The Bantry Inshore Search and Rescue lifeboat St. Brendan was launched this evening when the alarm was raised by the coastguard after receiving a report of a small boat with engine failure adrift in Bantry Bay.

The crew of the Bantry Lifeboat was paged by the coastguard at 20:00 hours, and the St. Brendan was launched in response at 20:07. At 20:28 the cox of the St. Brendan reported that the lifeboat had located the crippled vessel – a 16ft dory – off the south-west of Whiddy Island. The sole occupant of the boat was well and reported no injuries. The St. Brendan then took the craft under tow and at 21:10 secured the boat off the pier in Bantry Harbour. No further assistance being required, the St. Brendan stood down at 21:30.

"This was a straight-forward search and rescue operation, and is one of the types of incident that the crew of BISRA trains for regularly" said a BISRA spokesman. "Whilst presenting no technical difficulties – the sea was calm and visibility excellent – it is worth mentioning that the search area covered by the Bantry Lifeboat is over 20 square miles of water. Without a precise location for a casualty, it is a testament to the professionalism of the Bantry crews that they are able to launch, locate and recover a casualty in such a short space of time. It should be reassuring to all those who use the waters around the Bantry Bay area that such dedicated and reliable help is on hand in the event of difficulties."

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Bantry Inshore Search and Rescue Association Annual Dinner Dance

BISRA's fund-raising efforts for 2005 get under way with the popular annual dinner and dance, which this year is being held on Friday 14th January at the West Lodge Hotel, Bantry. Tickets are on sale from members of the Committee, or from fast.net, New Street, Bantry, priced at €20. A spokesman for BISRA said "We appreciate that there have been extra demands on the people of Bantry in the form of fund-raising for a number of other very worth-while causes in recent weeks, but we hope that people will continue to support the work of the Lifeboat which, like any other organisation, needs to maintain a positive cash-flow to survive."

The dinner starts at 8.30 pm, and continues with dancing to "Jamboree", followed by a disco. All are welcome to what promises to be another enjoyable BISRA social event.

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Sunday 28th November 2004

Bantry Inshore Search and Rescue Association Carol Singing Evening

The ever popular BISRA Christmas Carol sing-along event will take place this year on Sunday 5th December at 8.00 pm. Enjoy Christmas carols as they always used to be in the splendid surroundings of Bantry House. The singing will be led and accompanied by Jenny Isles. Admission to the event is €7 for adults and €4 for children and senior citizens, inclusive of refreshments and carol sheet. All are welcome – please join us and help get this year's Christmas celebrations off to a festive start!

All proceeds to BISRA.

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Monday 18^th October 2004

Bantry Inshore Search & Rescue Association Open Day

BISRA will be holding an open day on Saturday 23rd October from 2pm to 5pm at the Boat House, Railway Pier, Bantry. All are welcome. Volunteer crew members will be on hand to show visitors around the Boat House where the lifeboats and other facilities available to the Lifeboat operation will be on display. Weather permitting, crew members will also be demonstrating boat handling and other life-saving skills in the Bay. A spokesman for BISRA said "Open days like this provide an opportunity for everyone in the community to see how the money that is so generously donated to BISRA is put to use and we are looking forward to seeing as many people as possible on Saturday."

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Thursday 16th September 2004

Tragic Drowning in Bantry

The bodies of a local woman and her three-year-old daughter were recovered from the Coomhola river near Bantry this afternoon by a crew from Bantry Inshore Search and Rescue Association, after the vehicle in which they were travelling was swept away as it attempted to cross a ford. The woman's four-year-old son, who was also in the vehicle survived the incident. 

Full details of this tragedy are currently unavailable. However, the husband of the dead woman is a member of the crew of Bantry Inshore Search and Rescue. BISRA wishes to extend its sincerest sympathies to the family of the victims, and in particular to the crew member concerned.

"When the crew of the lifeboat are called to deal with emergencies, they often do not know what circumstances they are going to find at the scene of an incident. To be called to an emergency and find that we are searching for the family of one of our own crew members is particularly distressing, and we are all deeply saddened at the loss suffered by one of our own members" said a BISRA spokesman.

Further details will be published on this page as and when they become available.

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Tuesday 7th September 2004

Man Rescued after Falling Overboard from Yacht

The Bantry Lifeboat was launched today after the Coastguard received a report of a man overboard the leisure craft "Celtic Aurora" two miles south of Shot Head in Bantry Bay.

The crew of the "St. Brendan" were paged at 12.10 and the Lifeboat was launched at 12.20. At 12.25, BISRA's second boat – a 15 foot inflatable – was also launched, and both boats headed for the search area. The "St. Brendan" arrived on location at 12.35 and liased with the LÉ Orla of the Irish Naval Service and the Castletownbere Lifeboat which were also in attendance.

At 12.40 a man was rescued from the water by a fishing boat and transferred to the LÉ Orla. He was suffering from hypothermia and was attended by a medical officer before being transferred to Castletownbere.

A crew member from the LÉ Orla boarded the "Celtic Aurora" to assist the three female crew members and prepare the yacht to be taken under tow.

At 12.50, the stricken yacht was taken under tow by the Castletownbere Lifeboat and all other emergency services stood down. No further assistance being required, both Bantry lifeboats returned to base.

"This incident highlights the need for those going on the water to be properly equipped. Today's casualty had only been in the water for a relatively short time. He was wearing appropriate protective clothing and a personal flotation device but despite these precautions he was still suffering from hypothermia when rescued. Under today's conditions, survival time in the water without appropriate protective clothing would have been less than an hour" said a BISRA spokesman.

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Tuesday 7th September 2004

Bantry Inshore Search and Rescue Association would like to thank all those who so generously contributed to the recent street collection in Bantry in aid of the Lifeboat funds. "The generosity of local people enables us to provide a first-class rescue service which is a tribute to all who give so willingly" said a BISRA spokesman.

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Monday 28th June 2004

New Legislation to Enforce Wearing of Lifejackets

The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, has signed into law new safety regulations aimed at Ireland’s growing marine leisure sector. The new regulations encompass all types of pleasure craft regardless of the means of propulsion. Existing requirements governing mechanically propelled pleasure craft introduced in 2001 have been incorporated into the new regulations. The new regulations, which are titled the “Merchant Shipping (Pleasure Craft) Lifejackets and Operation (Safety) Regulations 2004”, have immediate effect.

The main provisions of the regulations are:

• Lifejackets/personal floatation devices to be carried on every pleasure craft (other than personal watercraft) regardless of the size of the craft.
• Everyone on board a pleasure craft of less than 7 metres (23 feet) in length must wear a lifejacket/personal floatation device.
• Lifejackets/personal flotation devices must be worn by those up to the age of 16 years on all pleasure craft.
• Lifejackets/personal flotation devices must be worn by persons being towed by a pleasure craft or on board a craft or on board a vessel or object being towed by a craft
• Every person on a personal watercraft (jetski) or while being towed by a personal watercraft, must wear a lifejacket or personal floatation device.
• Controls on the operation of pleasure craft while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and control of consumption of alcohol or drugs, have been extended to all pleasure craft – they previously only applied to fast power craft and personal watercraft under the 2001 regulations.

The regulations contain an exemption for rowers involved in “Olympic style rowing” in recognition of the international rules and conditions under which this sport is governed.

The new regulations may be viewed at www.dcmnr.gov.ie/display.asp/pg=466

In relation to the enforcement of the new regulation, the Coast Guard, Officers of the Maritime Safety Directorate and the Gardai will have a major role to play. The Minster has called on all organisations involved in water-based activities to promote the wearing of lifejackets in accordance with the new legislation. Parents too have a pivotal role to play in ensuring that children wear lifejackets at all times.

The levels of compliance with the new legislation will be monitored closely. To assist in this process commencing this week, two Coast Guard vessels will be deployed. The vessels will be deployed on a random basis around the coast-line during the coming months to promote safety awareness including the wearing of lifejackets.

The penalty for non-compliance is a fine of €127 if paid within 21 days.
If prosecution is instituted the penalty under the Merchant Shipping Act, can be much more severe.

This notice is published for information purposes only by Bantry Inshore Search & Rescue Association Ltd. For more information you should consult Statutory Instrument SI No. 259 of 2004, available from the Government Publications Office.

Monday 28th June 2004

Bantry Lifeboat in Co-ordinated Search for Missing Fishing Boat

The Bantry Lifeboat "St. Brendan" was launched at 15.15 on Thursday 24th June in response to an Electronic Positioning Emergency Radio Beacon (EPERB) alert in the Lea Hill jetty area. The alarm was raised by the Irish Coastguard at Valencia, and the "St. Brendan" joined the Castletownbere lifeboat, a helicopter from the Irish Coast Guard and a fixed wing aircraft in a co-ordinated search of the area.

No trace of the missing vessel was found and at 16.12 the search was called off and the "St. Brendan" stood down. The beacon was identified as that belonging to a Maltese registered fishing boat which was later found to be operating safely somewhere in the Baltic.

A spokesman for Bantry Inshore Search and Rescue Association said "This incident is an excellent example of the co-operation that exists between the various Irish rescue services and of a co-ordinated search and rescue operation. Although on this occasion no lives were at risk, when the "St. Brendan" – and the other rescue services – were alerted, we believed that we were involved in a genuine emergency. It is a tribute to the professionalism of Bantry Inshore Search and Rescue Association that our support is requested in such situations, and a tribute to the people of Bantry and the surrounding area whose generous support makes this kind of potentially life-saving work possible."

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Tuesday 2nd March 2004

U.S. Firm Donates Defibrillator to BISRA

C.J. Palmer, Managing Director of Emergency Care Consultants of Harvard, Illinois (USA) is pleased to announce the donation of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to the Bantry Inshore Search & Rescue Association.

Palmer, a former resident of Bantry, donated a Cardiac Science Powerheart AED and supplies, in a water tight carrying case (pictured above) valued in excess of €3,500 to provide additional lifesaving capabilities to the Association. The donation of an AED will allow the organisation to rapidly facilitate attempts to resuscitate victims of cardiac arrest.

This is a welcome addition to the rescue service which is now well equipped to deal with most emergencies. Ten members of the crew have recently completed the Elementary First Aid Course. Training on the use of the AED will start immediately.

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Tuesday 2nd March 2004

BISRA Golf Fundraiser

BISRA would like to thank Glengarriff Golf Club for hosting this event once again, and all the other sponsors of this annual Golf Classic for their valuable continued support. Prizes this year have been donated by Bantry Bay Seafoods; O'Callaghan Leisure; Harbour Queen Ferries; Quills of Glengarriff; and Bantry Glass & Glazing. 

This year's event takes place on 6th & 7th March at Glengarriff Golf Club. Teams of three for both the Ladies and Gents entries are invited to play for over €1000 worth of prizes. Full details, rules and entry forms available from Joe Holland by telephoning 086 8247032 or 027 63338

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Thursday 5th February 2004

BISRA Annual General Meeting

The BISRA AGM will take place on Wednesday 18th February at 8 pm in the Bantry Bay Hotel. The Agenda will include the election of officers for the coming year and the presentation of reports by the Honorary Secretary, Capt. Trevor Hughes, and Treasurer Sgt. Oliver Goggin.

All are welcome.

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Tuesday 6th January 2004

BISRA Annual Dinner Dance

Bantry Inshore Search & Rescue Association would like to thank all those who so generously supported our efforts in 2003 and we look forward to another successful year in 2004.

This year's fund-raising activity commences with the highlight of the Bantry social calendar – the Annual Dinner Dance – which takes place on Friday 16th January at the West Lodge Hotel, Bantry. An entertaining evening of music, dance, and great craic is promised once again. Tickets priced €20 are available from members of the Committee, or from fast.net, New Street, Bantry.

Admission is by ticket only and there is, as usual, limited availability and high demand. Don't be disappointed – get yours early!

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