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A BRITISH COAST Guard aircraft was called in to assist Irish authorities in a rescue 120 miles off the South West Coast.
The operation was led by the rescue co-ordination centre in Valentia, Co Kerry and saw the Shannon Based Coast Guard helicopter winch the injured sailor off the vessel which had crossed the Atlantic.
A Department of Transport spokesperson said that the British Coast Guard aircraft provided radio relay and observations for the Irish helicopter crew.
Despite the operation being led by Irish rescue commanders and using an Irish helicopter the Department said the mission was inside the British sector.
“Today MRSC Valentia working closely with the UK Coast Guard co-ordinated the medevac of a casualty from a merchant vessel 120 miles off the South West Coast (within the UK Search and Rescue Region).
“The mission was conducted by the Shannon-based Coast Guard Helicopter R115 with Top Cover support provided by a UK Coastguard fixed-wing aircraft. The casualty was landed at Cork Airport where he was transferred by ambulance to Cork University Hospital.
“Valentia and UK colleagues had collaborated in planning the mission since late yesterday afternoon as the vessel transited from the Atlantic,” the statement said.
It was not revealed why the Irish Air Corps were unavailable to conduct the “top cover” mission.
It is understood the Air Corps is currently training crews in the use of their new Casa 295 maritime patrol aircraft.
A new Coast Guard contract was signed recently with Bristow Ireland Limited – which replaced the contract with CHC Ireland.
The new contract would provide for the day and night-time operation of four helicopter bases in Sligo, Shannon, Waterford and Dublin. In addition to the helicopter service, the new Coast Guard aviation service will, for the first time, also include a fixed wing aircraft element.
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Not to worry, the Queen and Obama’s visit should kick extra tourism into gear any time now.. Lol
These figures and a decline in exports are the start of a further decline in economic activity.
The next Exchequer returns for the jan mar period will see a reduction in spend thus proving austerity is forcing the economy into a depression.
This allied to a budget taking 3.5 billion
out will lead to a bleak 2011/12
Part of the decrease may have to do with a slowdown in emigration also.
Please tell me you mean immigration Noel? ;)
What? People AREN’T going on holidays in the winter?
And partly the impact of circa 15 flights in and 15 flights out of the Galway Airport that are no more
The useless DAA should sell the old terminal building in Cork airport to Ryanair. Let them make a regional hub out of it like they wanted to do when the new one opened and then we’ll see the numbers rise…at the moment its just sitting there empty…lateral thinking is needed.
The decline in movements doesn’t necessarily correspond to passenger decline.
The Cork decline looks bad, but amounts to 6 movements a day. Then you look at what those movements were.
The Manx2 flight to Belfast, which was canned after the crash, accounted for 4 of them, yet the plane only had a capacity of 19 and usually carried 10-15 people.
Also gone are the Air SouthWest flights to Newquay and Plymouth after the airline ceased operating. Their aircraft would have been the same size that Aer Arann use.
And then there seem to be fewer ski charters.
Passenger numbers are only down by 2%, despite the large fall in flight movements.
These figures refer to number of flights – not necessarily the number of passengers. Airlines may be running less flights with higher passenger loads, or bigger aircraft.
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