Baltimore lifeboat provides medical evacuation from Cape Clear Island

Baltimore RNLI carried out a medical evacuation last night (Sunday) of a student on Cape Clear Island off the coast of West Cork.

The volunteer lifeboat crew was tasked to launch its all-weather lifeboat following a request from the Irish Coast Guard at 10.11pm to provide medical assistance to and evacuation of a student who received an injury after a fall.

Once on-scene, three of the volunteer crew went ashore and were brought by minibus to the casualty. There, they administered casualty care before transferring the injured girl back to the all-weather lifeboat.

The lifeboat then returned to Baltimore lifeboat station at 11.40pm and handed the casualty over to the care of HSE ambulance crew who were waiting at the station. Conditions at sea during the shout were calm with a westerly Force 3 to 4 wind and a 1m sea swell.

There were seven volunteer crew on board the lifeboat, coxswain Kieran Cotter, mechanic Brian McSweeney and crew members Jerry Smith, Pat Collins, Diarmuid Collins, Jim Griffiths and Ryan O'Mahony. Micheal Cottrell, Rianne Smith, Eoin Ryan, Sean McCarthy, Don O'Donovan and David Ryan provided shore crew assistance at the lifeboat house.

Speaking following the call-out, Kate Callanan, Baltimore RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer, said: ‘The lifeboat is often called upon to act as an ambulance service between the islands and mainland, and our volunteer crews are trained to a high standard in first aid and casualty care. If you find yourself at sea or on an island in need of medical assistance, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.'

Referring to the student evacuated from Cape Clear on Sunday night, she said: 'We wish her a full and speedy recovery.'