Bantry Inshore Search & Rescue Association Press Releases archive

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Archive Press Releases Sept 2002 - December 2003
Monday December 1st 2003
BISRA Carol Singing Evening BISRA is delighted to announce that its popular Christmas Carol sing-along event is back on the festive scene this year, on Sunday 7th 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, including refreshments and carol sheet. All proceeds to BISRA. Ends
Saturday August 16th 2003
Lifeboat Launched in Search for Missing Swimmer The Bantry Lifeboat was launched again today following a report to the Gardai that a man who had gone swimming in the sea near Glengarriff had failed to return. The alarm was raised by the Gardai and at 16.28 the Bantry Lifeboat crew was paged by the Valencia Coast Guard for the fourth time in two weeks. The "St.Brendan" was launched at 16.33 and headed for Zetland Pier to the west of Glengarriff where the man was last seen by concerned bathers in the area at around lunch-time. The crew commenced a search of the area but found no-one. At 17.10 the missing man turned up on the Pier as he returned to his car, unaware of the search that was under way. No further assistance being required from the Lifeboat, the "St. Brendan" returned to base and stood down at 17.30. "This incident highlights the need for people engaged in water-based activities to observe the basic disciplines involved in all water-sports," said a BISRA spokesman. "We would appeal to people not to venture out on their own, and always to let someone know where they are going and at what time they expect to return. Had this man actually been missing, the search for him would have been like looking for a needle in a haystack." Ends
Tuesday August 12th 2003
Lifeboat Launched following Hoax Call The "St. Brendan" was launched today after a hoax caller contacted the Coast Guard to report a vessel in danger of capsizing to the east of Whiddy Island. The crew was paged at 11.56 and the boat was launched at 12.05. After a 30 minute search of the Inner Bay area the search was called off when it became apparent that there were no vessels in any danger. "Hoax callers are irresponsible and put lives in danger by diverting the rescue service's resources when they might well be required to answer genuine distress calls, especially at this time of year – the height of the holiday season and during a heat wave – when many more people are taking to the water than would usually be the case" said a BISRA spokesman. "Furthermore, hoax callers show a callous disregard for the commitment of volunteer crews and their employers as time is taken from their workplaces to answer these calls." Unlike other emergency services, lifeboat crews do not have flashing beacons attached to their vehicles to identify them when answering emergency calls which makes negotiating traffic at busy times of the day a problem. BISRA's target is to launch the lifeboat within 10 minutes of being paged. Incidents such as this cause a great deal of inconvenience to all concerned and it is to be regretted that someone has nothing better to do with their time than to indulge in costly hoaxes of this nature. Ends
Saturday August 9th 2003
Five Rescued in Dawn Emergency The Bantry Lifeboat was launched again today for the second time in four days after five men became stranded in a motor-boat in the early hours of this morning when their boat ran out of fuel near the mussel lines off Reenrour. The Coast Guard was contacted and at 4.05 am the pagers that are used to call the volunteer lifeboat crew were set off. The "St. Brendan" was launched at 4.12 and made contact with the casualty at 4.15. The stricken craft and its passengers were taken in tow by the "St. Brendan" and returned to the visitor's moorings off Eagle Point. All five men were safe and well. No further assistance being required, the "St. Brendan" stood down at 5.40 am. Ends
Tuesday August 5th 2003
Yacht Entangled in Mussel Lines in Bantry Bay The Bantry Lifeboat "St. Brendan" was called out this morning when a 30 foot French sloop crewed by a lone sailor got into difficulties in Bantry Bay. The Frenchman had been heading for the visitor's moorings in Bantry Bay when his vessel became entangled in mussel lines off Chapel Island. The alarm was raised at 6.40 am by the Irish Coast Guard in Valencia, after the Frenchman contacted the French Coast Guard service. The "St. Brendan" was launched within 8 minutes of the alarm being raised, and arrived at the scene at 6.52 am. After assessing the situation, the lifeboat pulled the yacht clear of the mussel lines which was then able to continue to the moorings under its own power, accompanied by the "St. Brendan". As no further assistance was required, the "St. Brendan" stood down at 8.20 am. Ends
Saturday 19th July 2003
"St. Brendan" in Training Exercise with Rescue Helicopter Bantry Bay was today the scene of an elaborate exercise involving the volunteer crews of the Bantry Lifeboat and the Irish Coast Guard's Sea King helicopter based at Shannon. 2 coxes had an opportunity to track the helicopter through the Inner Bay, whilst other crew members were winched off the "St. Brendan" into the helicopter, and then lowered back into the boat from the helicopter – an operation requiring considerable skill on the part of the cox of the lifeboat, who is required to keep the boat in the correct position relative to the winch at all times during the manoeuvre whilst travelling at a speed of approximately 20 knots and pitching and rolling with the swell. Coxes were given the opportunity to practise the procedure using a weighted bag that was lowered from the helicopter on the winch, before commencing live transfers of the winchman from the helicopter and several other crew members. In all, eight transfers between the helicopter and the lifeboat were carried out before the helicopter was required to return to Shannon for refuelling. The "St. Brendan" was joined by Castletownbere Cliff and Coastal Rescue Service who also took part in the exercise. "We are grateful to the Irish Coast Guard for providing us with this valuable opportunity to practise these essential skills which help to maintain a high standard of professionalism within BISRA." said a spokesman. Ends
Monday April 21st 2003
Man Thrown from Power Boat in Bantry Bay The Bantry Lifeboat "St. Brendan" was launched at 18.53 today when a man was thrown from his power boat in the inner bay area. The alarm was raised when the craft was seen racing around the bay in a circle, apparently with no-one on board. The "St. Brendan" approached the boat with caution, concerned that there may have been casualties in the water who would have been in significant danger of injury from the unguarded propellers of the speeding and out of control craft. The runaway power boat was a RIB with twin 40 horse power outboard engines, both of which were stuck on full throttle making it impossible for anyone to board the boat. A phone call from the shore to the BISRA control room subsequently confirmed that the owner of the craft had been rescued by another boat and that there were no casualties. The crew of the "St. Brendan" then brought the craft under control and successfully boarded the vessel and brought it to the Railway Pier slip under its own power. The boat was handed back to its owner and the Lifeboat stood down at 19.15. Ends
Sunday March 16th 2003
BISRA Prize in St. Patrick's Day Parade The BISRA entry was awarded the prize for "Best adult entry" in the Bantry Town St. Patrick's Day Parade today. The float featured a wrecked dinghy crewed by pirates whose lives were saved because they were wearing lifejackets, and by the timely arrival of the Bantry Lifeboat. Several BISRA crew members walked alongside the float distributing sweets to the children who lined the streets of the Town, cheering the parade as it wound its way around Bantry. The entry was co-sponsored by Bantry Terminals. Only one hour before the Parade began, the crew of the Bantry Lifeboat had been in action for real when a member of the public spotted a capsized yacht in the Bay and raised the alarm. The crew of the capsized yacht escaped a potentially life-threatening situation because they too were all wearing lifejackets – and by the timely arrival of the Bantry Lifeboat! Ends
Sunday March 16th 2003
Bantry Lifeboat Called to Capsized Yacht The "St. Brendan" was launched at 12.35 today when a member of the public spotted a capsized yacht in the inner bay area and raised the alarm. The crew of the yacht managed to right their vessel without assistance, and the Lifeboat was not required. The "St. Brendan" stood down at 13.15. "Although the lifeboat was not required on this occasion" said a BISRA spokesman, "the person who raised the alarm is to be commended for alerting the Coastguard. Obviously it is not normal to see overturned yachts in the Bay, and from the shore there was no way of knowing whether the crew was in difficulty or not. Raising the alarm promptly was a potentially life-saving action and the crew of the capsized vessel should be grateful that someone observed their plight and acted in a responsible manner." Ends
Tuesday March 4th 2003
Plea for more Adult Crew Members BISRA founder and Chairman Dr. Matt Murphy appealed for more adult volunteers to help crew the Bantry Lifeboat at the Association's AGM on Wednesday 26th February. Whilst praising the enthusiasm and commitment of the junior members of the Association, he made a plea for more adult members to be recruited as several of the existing volunteers are approaching an age when they will no longer be able to be active crew members. Hon. Sec. Capt. Trevor Hughes presented his report in which he gave details from the activity log of the Association over the last twelve months. He also announced plans for the acquisition of a new craft to be delivered shortly, to assist with training and to provide cover for some of the inshore lakes in the Bantry area. The new boat will be a 15 ft inflatable similar to the "D" class rescue boats used by the RNLI. "Whilst the Atlantic 21 currently in service allows us to provide a much better service than previously, it represents a major investment and the running-costs are significantly higher than any previous craft that BISRA has operated" said Capt. Hughes. "The new boat will be used primarily for training, thereby reducing wear and tear on the "St. Brendan" and ensuring that the community gets maximum value in return for its very generous support of the work of BISRA." Treasurer Oliver Goggin also presented his financial report for the year, in which he made special mention of the help provided by accountants Clayton & Co in establishing BISRA as a Limited Company in 2002. "Support from the local community continues to be generous." said Oliver, "and we are grateful for their efforts especially during the difficult economic circumstances facing the country at the present time." Capt. Hughes also announced that during the coming year, the Association will be applying for charitable status which should lead to a reduction in overall costs. Ends
Wednesday January 22nd 2003
Part of the remit of Bantry Inshore Search & Rescue Association (BISRA) as a Community Rescue Service is to provide education and information to the local community on water safety issues. To this end, BISRA, in co-operation with the Bantry Harbour Commissioners, is hosting a "Water Safety Initiative" on Wednesday 29th January, in the Westlodge Hotel Bantry @ 7.30 pm. Guest speakers will be discussing a range of issues of importance to people involved in fishing, aquaculture and pleasure craft, and everyone with an interest in marine safety. There will also be a demonstration of the latest marine safety equipment. Admission is free and all are welcome. Full details can be found on the BISRA website at www.bantrylifeboat.com/safety/seminars Ends
Wednesday September 25th 2002
Bantry Lifeboat called to Barge Fire The Bantry Lifeboat was called out for the second time in four days this evening to attend a fire on board a salmon feed barge off Gerahies in Bantry Bay. Responding to a request from the local Fire Brigade, the "St. Brendan" was launched at 19.20 with five crew on board and was on the scene within 10 minutes. Two appliances from Bantry Fire Station were also in attendance, and the fire was quickly brought under control by the Fire brigade who were able to reach the vessel from the shore. The blaze started in a diesel generator on board the barge. There were no casualties, but there was some concern about possible pollution in the area caused by fuel spillage from the burnt-out generator. With no further assistance from BISRA required, the "St. Brendan" returned to base and stood down at 20.30. Ends
Saturday September 21st 2002
Local yacht towed to safety by Bantry Lifeboat A yacht owned by a local man ran aground on West Beach, Whiddy today. A member of the public raised the alarm at 18.00 hours, and the "St. Brendan" was launched at 18.06. The yacht, with 2 adults and 2 children on board had got into difficulty and was spotted by a member of the public who raised the alarm. The "St. Brendan" towed the yacht to safety and then stood by whilst the yacht returned to its mooring at Bantry Sailing Club. There were no injuries reported, and the lifeboat stood down at 19.30. Ends
Tuesday September 17th 2002
Bantry Lifeboat goes online www.bantrylifeboat.com Bantry Inshore Search & Rescue Association (BISRA) today published its new website. The site, which features streaming video content of the "St. Brendan" in action, a public information page on water safety as well as a history of the Association and links to other organisations concerned with water safety, has been in development for two months. It has been financed by a grant from West Cork Leader Co-Operative Society and it is hoped that it will help to enhance the profile of the Bantry Lifeboat. "The presence of the "St. Brendan" in the Bay serves as a constant reminder to people that they must never be complacent about maintaining safety standards on the water" said a BISRA spokesman. "Whilst it is reassuring for people to know that the lifeboat is there, it's important that people take responsibility for their own safety and not expose our crew members to unnecessary risk. This new web site will raise the profile of the Bantry Lifeboat – and of water-safety standards generally – and provide us with an additional resource to help increase public awareness of the safety issues surrounding water-based activities on which the area relies so heavily." The site also provides information about how BISRA is funded and details of what it costs to maintain the facility. Work is continuing on the site, and it is hoped that details of future plans for the organisation and an activity log of all of the launches will be added over the coming months. The BISRA website address is www.bantrylifeboat.com Ends
Monday September 16th 2002
Training for crews a top priority BISRA has acquired an old D-class dinghy to help in the training of crew members. The dinghy – which was donated by a local man – will be cleaned up and used in training exercises to enable the crews to practice towing vessels in distress, capsize recovery and recovering casualties from overturned craft. "Training is vital for crew members to be able to deal with any emergency that may arise and this dinghy will be a valuable addition to our training resources, which will enable the crews to practice skills that otherwise they could only learn in theory" a BISRA spokesman said. The "St. Brendan" was launched this evening as part of the ongoing crew training which ensures that all crew members have the opportunity to practice skills that they may need in the event of an emergency call. This routine training is required for all crew members and a record of each crew member's skills training is kept by the Training Officer. Training takes place each Monday from 7 - 9pm, and on the second Saturday morning of each month. Ends
Sunday September 15th 2002
Lifejacket message still hasn't got through to many
Bantry's newly dedicated lifeboat "St. Brendan" was launched today as a safety precaution for Bantry Regatta. Two crews provided standby cover for the five hour duration of the Regatta, which passed without incident. Several other small craft were in the bay carrying spectators, and it was noted with some concern by both crews, how few of the passengers in any of those vessels had taken even the most basic precaution of wearing a lifejacket. "It is clear that we still have much work to do to increase public awareness of the dangers of going on the water without proper equipment" said a BISRA spokesman. "Even on a day like today when the weather is fine and the air temperatures are relatively high for the time of year, the sea temperature is still only about 12 degrees. At that temperature, and without any protective clothing, survival time in the water is less than forty minutes for most people. Many of the people on the water today were only wearing shorts and T-shirts. With the exception of the Regatta officials and the competitors, we only spotted one person wearing a lifejacket, and nobody with any other form of protective clothing." It would appear that in spite of the tragic drowning of a 14 year old boy on a fishing trip in Waterford this summer, and several drownings closer to home in Bantry Bay over recent years, the simple message that lifejackets save lives has still not got through to many people. More information on water safety and the dangers of hypothermia is available on the BISRA website - www.bantrylifeboat.com/safety Ends
Saturday September 7th, 2002
"Best rescue facilities, second to none..."
An audience of over 200 people turned out this afternoon for the official naming and dedication of the new lifeboat operated by Bantry Inshore Search and Rescue. Dr Matt Murphy, welcomed all those present and introduced a number of guest speakers, including local TD Denis Donovan, and Mr. Frank Nolan, chairman of Irish Water Safety. Praising the volunteers who man the lifeboat, Mr. Nolan said that Ireland has "the best rescue facilities, second to none, that can be offered in any country." Children from local schools took part in a competition to draw a picture of the boat and suggest a name for it. Over 290 entries were received, and 12 year old Jerome O'Dwyer's "St. Brendan" was selected as the winner by a panel of judges. Jerome was guest of honour at the ceremony, when he officially unveiled the lifeboat's name plaque and launched the vessel. Jerome was then given a trip around Bantry Bay in the "St. Brendan" before being presented with his prize of a portable stereo system. Following the launch, a volunteer crew gave a brief demonstration of the new boat's capability, including a recovery from the water of a casualty using the Jason's cradle with which the boat is equipped. After the demonstration, the crew gave trips around the Bay to over 90 children who had attended the brief ceremony, whilst other BISRA members were on hand to show members of the public around the new boat-house, where the remaining competition entries were on display. Ends