A CREW member in need of medical attention was airlifted from a container ship 110 nautical miles south west of Castletownbere on St Patrick’s Day.

The Coast Guard was notified of the need for a medical evacuation earlier that morning but the container ship, the Eagle 11, was too far out at that time for any of the Coast Guard’s air assets to reach it, so they had to wait until it came within range of the helicopter.

Valentia Coast Guard that coordinated the long-range medevac by directing the vessel, which is currently sailing under the flag of Marshall Islands, to head towards Castletownbere and tasking its rescue helicopter, the R115, and its fixed-wing R120F, to intercept it.

The R115 departed from its base in Shannon and arrived in Castletownbere, where it refuelled at the Coast Guard’s  refuelling pad, before heading out to sea at 3pm.

By 4.30pm the helicopter crew had rendezvoused with the ship and taken the casualty on board and it then returned to Castletownbere.

Valentia Coast Guard described the sea conditions that day as ‘challenging’ and reported that the male casualty was transferred to the National Ambulance Service shortly before 6pm.