Newcastle RNLI celebrates 200 years of saving lives at sea
The recent tragedies in Buncrana and Sligo where three boys lost their lives, serves as a brutal reminder of the dangers of open water.Last year, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in Northern Ireland said it came to the aid of 469 people – 16 of those were deemed to have had their lives saved.There are 46 RNLI stations across Ireland, strategically sited along the coastline and on major inland waterways. Ten of those are in Northern Ireland.This year one of them, Newcastle, County Down, celebrates its 200th anniversary.
Like the rest of the RNLI fleet, Newcastle's iconic Mersey Class vessel (the Leonard Kent) will be retired and replaced by the faster, but smaller, Atlantic 85 at the end of this year.In 2024 alone the Newcastle boat launched 18 times – helping 26 people and saving three lives. For those rescued, it can be a life changing experience.
In August 1998, William Irvine went fishing with three friends on the rocks at Maggie's Leap just outside Newcastle.After one of the group slipped into the water off the steep rocks, William took off his jumper and tried to use it as a rope. "I tried to pull him in but I slipped on the fishing rods and fell in as well," he told BBC News NI."Then one of the others tried to bring me in by using one of the fishing rods but a wave took me out further and brought him in and the fourth one tried to climb up the rocks but he slipped and fell in."During the ordeal, William lost consciousness."The next thing I remember was waking up on the lifeboat."
One of the rescue crew that day was Brendan Rooney, a full-time musician who is still on the lifeboat crew."When we went in the first time we got the first two lads onto the boat," he said. "By then the Mersey Class boat had arrived so we transferred them onto the Mersey. On the second, we went back in but the Skeg hit a submerged rock on the way in, but luckily we got over it."Throughout the years Brendan has been involved in dozens of rescues, adding: "Too many to remember".What the sea throws at lifeboat teams when they respond to a call is different every time but the process of getting there remains constant.
After a 999 call comes in to the coast guard, the RNLI may be asked to launch a vessel. Daniel Curran is the man responsible in Newcastle for making those decisions."We assess the situation and then the coastguard goes ahead and sounds the pagers", he explained."We make our way to the station as quickly as we can and everyone slots into their roles. And that's not just those on the boat; there's also an enormous number of people working as shore crew."
Caoimhe Connor got involved in rescue operations nearly a decade ago after witnessing a tragedy at a beach where she was surfing.She's now the at the helm of one of Newcastle's boats, a role that requires a cool head in challenging circumstances, often late at night."You're jumping out of bed, half asleep. Even before I leave the house it's important to calm yourself down. "You have to know that the adrenalin rush isn't a great thing. Then you get this sense of calmness because you know you have to focus on what it is you have to do."
Behind the wheel of the Mersey Class in Dundrum Bay is Niall McMurray - as the crew take part in one of their weekly training sessions."We've launched into Dundrum Bay and we're practicing different recovery techniques – in this case man overboard," he explained.That 'man' is a life size and heavyweight mannequin who is unceremoniously dumped in the water and lost. The crew is tasked with finding him and bringing him to safety.
On return, many of the team's 40-strong volunteers are on hand to lift the Mersey out of the sea and bring casualties to safety.A tractor-type machine on caterpillar wheels pulls the boat onto a large trailer on the shore, the vessel is washed down and taken back to the boathouse, ready for its next call.It is a process that will change dramatically in the New Year with the retirement of the Mersey Class.Newcastle received its first Mersey [The Eleanor and Bryant Girling] in 1992. In 2022, the Laurence Kent arrived having previously served in Margate and Poole.In place of these boats will be the open-topped Atlantic 85.Brendan Rooney says the Mersey can do 19 knots but the Atlantic can hit 35."We hope to get the training boat soon so we're looking forward to getting it in place," he said. "It'll be different for us as we've never experienced it and it will benefit the area."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Dramatic moment four Scots paddleboarders rescued after drifting out to sea
The group had their mobile phones and were able to call the coastguard when they got into difficulty WATER RESCUE Dramatic moment four Scots paddleboarders rescued after drifting out to sea Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the dramatic moment four paddleboarders were rescued by lifeboat crews after drifting out to sea. Stonehaven RNLI launched the lifeboat at around 8.15pm last night amid strong winds off Catterline Harbour in Aberdeenshire. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Four paddleboarders drifted out to sea amid strong winds off Catterline Harbour Credit: RNLI 3 Stonehaven RNLI teams were sent out to rescue the group Credit: RNLI 3 After finding all four people, they were hauled onto the lifeboat for initial casualty care Credit: RNLI The team were tasked by HM Coastguard following reports four paddlesboarders drifted out to sea. The volunteer crew located the first paddleboarder, before making way to the three remaining paddleboarders who had drifted further out to sea. After finding all four people, they were hauled onto the lifeboat for initial casualty care. They were taken to Catterline Harbour and handed over to the care of HM Coastguard and the Scottish Ambulance Service. Montrose RNLI's all-weather lifeboat was also tasked by HM Coastguard to support the incident at 8.18pm. They were stood down at 9.34pm after Stonehaven RNLI retrieved the casualties, and the Montrose RNLI crew located a missing paddleboard to prevent any further call outs. The group had their mobile phones and were able to call the coastguard when they got into difficulty. Kenny Jones, volunteer helm at Stonehaven RNLI, says: "Thankfully the casualties had their mobile phones with them and knew to call the coastguard when they got into difficulties. "The weather conditions off our coast can change really quickly and what starts as an adventure can quickly go wrong. "It is so important that people have the equipment and knowledge they need. Horror as two climbers swept 160ft down Scots mountain after AVALANCHE hits "Life jackets, mobile phones, VHF radios and bright clothing are simple things people can buy to help their safety but knowledge of the tides, weather forecasts, local conditions and experience are crucial when planning a trip to enjoy our beautiful coastline. "If anyone sees someone in difficulty on the coast, dial 999 and ask for the coastguard."
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Prince of Wales jokes about family tensions on visit to Army Air Corps
The Prince of Wales has joked about family tensions when he quizzed soldiers about the time they spent with loved ones. William made light of living with relatives during a visit to the Suffolk home of the Army Air Corps (AAC) in his role as its Colonel-in-Chief. He also pledged to raise the accommodation concerns of soldiers and handed out bacon and sausage rolls to their families. Wearing camouflage military uniform and the AAC's famous blue beret, William brought up the topic of accommodation when he chatted to servicemen taking a break from an outdoor physical exercise session. The future king lightened the mood when he joked, after asking one soldier if he spent enough time with his family, 'some of them might not want to see you that much – it's a mixed bag'. The monarchy has experienced family disruption over the decades from separation and divorces to the much-publicised falling out between royal brothers William and the Duke of Sussex. In a recent television interview Harry, who is also estranged from his father the King, said he 'would love a reconciliation' with the royal family. William arrived at Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk in a Wildcat Helicopter, a reconnaissance aircraft in the AAC's fleet. The prince is a former RAF helicopter search and rescue pilot who later spent two years flying air ambulances, and he flew himself back home after the visit to the ACC's headquarters to meet military personnel and their families. As the servicemen rested from their physical activities, William told them 'I'm going to have a chat about accommodation, make sure they look at that,' and went on to say 'If they listen to me that's another matter,' and said the issue would be landing on a desk. When he asked another group about accommodation and only received smiles in response, the prince said: 'I'll take that away, a lot of smiles going on, that's all you need to say.' William later served bacon rolls and sausage baps in the 'Archer's Breakfast', a weekly social event held by 664 Squadron for its personnel and their families and said about the food 'very good smelling, making my mouth water'. A long line of servicemen and their families quickly formed, and the prince quipped 'nothing worse then the smell of bacon in the room and you cannot eat it'. Outside the cafe, William chatted to servicemen and their families including the children of Warrant Officer Class 2 Matthew Foster, Ida, aged eight and five-year-old Archie. Asked by William what they liked, Ida replied 'school' while her younger brother opted not for lessons but 'play'. The AAC is the combat aviation arm of the British Army, and is made up of several regiments and units including 664 Squadron, and uses Wildcat battlefield reconnaissance and Apache Attack helicopters to seek out and destroy enemy forces. When William first arrived he entered a camouflaged covered tent, a mock-up of a mobile planning headquarters used when on deployment, and got to grips with a laptop used to plan missions under the watchful eye of Lance Corporal Sulabh Ale. He ended his visit by presenting a King's Commendation for Valuable Service and award soldiers their promotion from Corporal to Sergeant.
North Wales Chronicle
3 days ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Prince of Wales jokes about family tensions on visit to Army Air Corps
William made light of living with relatives during a visit to the Suffolk home of the Army Air Corps (AAC) in his role as its Colonel-in-Chief. He also pledged to raise the accommodation concerns of soldiers and handed out bacon and sausage rolls to their families. Wearing camouflage military uniform and the AAC's famous blue beret, William brought up the topic of accommodation when he chatted to servicemen taking a break from an outdoor physical exercise session. The future king lightened the mood when he joked, after asking one soldier if he spent enough time with his family, 'some of them might not want to see you that much – it's a mixed bag'. The monarchy has experienced family disruption over the decades from separation and divorces to the much-publicised falling out between royal brothers William and the Duke of Sussex. In a recent television interview Harry, who is also estranged from his father the King, said he 'would love a reconciliation' with the royal family. William arrived at Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk in a Wildcat Helicopter, a reconnaissance aircraft in the AAC's fleet. The prince is a former RAF helicopter search and rescue pilot who later spent two years flying air ambulances, and he flew himself back home after the visit to the ACC's headquarters to meet military personnel and their families. As the servicemen rested from their physical activities, William told them 'I'm going to have a chat about accommodation, make sure they look at that,' and went on to say 'If they listen to me that's another matter,' and said the issue would be landing on a desk. When he asked another group about accommodation and only received smiles in response, the prince said: 'I'll take that away, a lot of smiles going on, that's all you need to say.' William later served bacon rolls and sausage baps in the 'Archer's Breakfast', a weekly social event held by 664 Squadron for its personnel and their families and said about the food 'very good smelling, making my mouth water'. A long line of servicemen and their families quickly formed, and the prince quipped 'nothing worse then the smell of bacon in the room and you cannot eat it'. Outside the cafe, William chatted to servicemen and their families including the children of Warrant Officer Class 2 Matthew Foster, Ida, aged eight and five-year-old Archie. Asked by William what they liked, Ida replied 'school' while her younger brother opted not for lessons but 'play'. The AAC is the combat aviation arm of the British Army, and is made up of several regiments and units including 664 Squadron, and uses Wildcat battlefield reconnaissance and Apache Attack helicopters to seek out and destroy enemy forces. When William first arrived he entered a camouflaged covered tent, a mock-up of a mobile planning headquarters used when on deployment, and got to grips with a laptop used to plan missions under the watchful eye of Lance Corporal Sulabh Ale. He ended his visit by presenting a King's Commendation for Valuable Service and award soldiers their promotion from Corporal to Sergeant.
