This evening, the Skerries Coat Guard team took part in a joint training exercise with the Balbriggan Order of Malta Ambulance Corps. This exercise took place at the Skerries Coast Guard station on Red Island and included a detailed brief of the Order’s Emergency Ambulance. Many thanks to the Balbriggan OMAC for this enjoyable and insightful joint exercise.
Skerries Coast Guard – a voluntary rescue unit of the Irish Coast Guard
At 11:00 this morning, the Coast Guard’s Operations Centre received report of two missing divers near Red Island, Skerries. The Skerries Coast Guard team were paged by the Coast Guard to assist, along with the Coast Guard helicopter from its base at Dublin Airport. The Skerries Lifeboat was also tasked.
The Skerries Coast Guard team arrived on scene within minutes. Fortunately, both divers had successfully made it ashore however one was in need of medical assistance. Members of both Skerries Coast Guard and Skerries lifeboat provided medical assistance to the casualty, later assisted by paramedics from the Coast Guard helicopter. The Coast Guard helicopter Rescue116 then landed at its usual Red Island landing site and the casualty was evacuated to hospital for further treatment.
Incident #23 of 2013
This morning, the Skerries Coast Guard team took part in a large scale missing person search exercise in the vast grounds of Ardgillan Demesne, 3 miles North of Skerries. The exercise was centred on the scenario of two persons reported missing in the park, with several hours passed since they were last sighted.
The various search teams were briefed and dispatched to search the large area of mixed woodlands and grasslands, each dissected by various tracks and trails.
The exercise proved very beneficial and the search teams successfully located their various clues and targets. The training scenario then moved on to cover emergency medical treatment of the “casualties”, stretcher extraction from the dense woodland and preparation of a helicopter landing site on nearby grassland.
The Skerries team have previously assisted Gardai with several missing person searches involving woodland and grassland areas and this exercise proved a useful opportunity of testing and refreshing the skills involved.
Photos of this exercise are available in our online gallery.
For more information on Ardgillan Castle and Demesne, visit their website at www.ardgillancastle.ie
Skerries Coast Guard – a voluntary rescue unit of the Irish Coast Guard.
Shortly after 03:20 this morning, the Skerries Coast Guard team were paged to investigate reports of a person in difficulty in the water near Rush, 4 miles South of Skerries. The Garda helicopter was also tasked to assist with the search for the person. The Skerries Coast Guard team arrived at the scene within minutes and located the person in the water. The casualty was successfully helped from the water with assistance from a Skerries lifeboat crewman. The Skerries Coast Guard assessed and treated the casualty for mild hypothermia at the scene.
Remember – if you spot someone in difficulty in the water, even if you only think someone could be in difficulty, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the COAST GUARD. Your call could save their life.
Incident #19 of 2011