Once again, the Skerries Coast Guard volunteers marched in the local St Patrick’s day parade. The excellent weather brought out huge crowds who gathered on the main street to cheer all the entrants on their way.
The Coast Guard helicopter, EI-MES, also dropped by and performed a dramatic flyover along the main street.
This evening, the Volunteers of Skerries Coast Guard took part in a night search and rescue exercise.
A search of Red Island was conducted using 2 teams. A casualty was located and was assessed,treated and evacuated by stretcher to an area suitable for extraction by helicopter.
This exercise included training in search techniques, first aid, radio communications and team work.
Weather conditions on the night were fair with good visibility in a moderate S.W. breeze
At dawn this morning, the Skerries Coast Guard team held their first training event of 2009, a joint rescue exercise with one of the Coast Guard’s Sikorsky helicopters, callsign EI-MES. The Skerries team selected and prepared the landing zone at Red Island, near to Skerries harbour.
Weather conditions were favourable, with good visibility and freshening Southerly winds. All of the Skerries Coast Guard team had an opportunity to experience a flight in the helicopter.
Further rescue training took place on St. Patrick’s island, one of the three uninhabited islands off the coast of Skerries.
Once again, our thanks to the Dublin Coast Guard helicopter crew for a fantastic joint training exercise.
At 17:50 this evening, the Skerries Coast Guard team were tasked by the Irish Coast Guard’s rescue co-ordination centre (MRCC) to investigate a reports of a possible sighting of a red distress flare north of Rockabill Lighthouse.
Skerries Coast Guard volunteers conducted a search of the coastline and nothing unusual was found The team were subsequently stood down by MRCC
Weather conditions in the area were fair with good visibility and light NW winds.
Incident #22 of 2008