Baltimore RNLI rescue man in difficulty on passenger vessel

BALTIMORE RNLI has praised the swift actions of one of its volunteer crew members who used his lifesaving skills and training to rescue a man who got into difficulty on a passenger vessel in West Cork this afternoon (Friday).  

The all-weather lifeboat was requested to launch at 12.50pm following a report of man in difficulty on a small passenger vessel west of The Stags.  

The lifeboat under coxswain Aidan Bushe with mechanic Cathal Cottrell and crew members Brendan Cottrell, Colin Rochford, Simon Duggan, Diarmuid Collins and Ronnie Carty on board, launched immediately and made its way to the scene, eight nautical miles from Baltimore.  

Weather conditions at the time were described as slightly choppy with a Force 3 easterly wind.  

The skipper of the passenger vessel, a long serving volunteer crew member with Baltimore RNLI, had immediately administered casualty care to the man when he started to show signs of being in difficulty and the man was already in the recovery position on the arrival of the lifeboat minutes later.   Once on the scene, the casualty was transferred onto the lifeboat where the crew continued to administer casualty care as he was brought back to Baltimore.

The man was then transferred into the care of paramedics and a waiting ambulance before he was brought to hospital for further treatment.   Volunteer crew member Sean McCarthy provided assistance at Baltimore Lifeboat Station.  

Speaking following the call-out Tom Bushe, Baltimore RNLI Lifeboat operations manager said: ‘All at Baltimore RNLI would like to wish this man a full and speedy recovery following his ordeal this afternoon.

Today’s call-out is a fine example of how the RNLI’s lifesaving training can make a real difference and I would particularly like to praise the efforts of Micheal Cottrell, skipper of the small passenger vessel, who used his skills as a crew member to help bring this man to safety before the lifeboat arrived on scene.’