Spanish Fisherman brought to Safety.

The continuing severe weather conditions hampered the attempts to rescue an injured fisherman  over forty miles off the south coast last Tuesday and Wednesday. The drama started when the fishing vessel Skellig Dawn reported an injured crew member to Valentia Coastguard Radio. The Coastguard rescue helicopter was dispatched from Shannon at 7.17 pm. Seemingly a large container on the aft deck of the vessel had fallen on the man, a Spaniard in his late twenties. However, the helicopter was unable to winch the man to safety due to sea conditions and the Force 8 North Westerly winds. In addition the vessel was unable to maintain a steady course which prevented a winch operation. The helicopter had no option but abandon the operation.

`The Irish registered vessel with a Spanish crew was then instructed to make for the coast in order to try to winch the injured man off in better sea conditions. A second attempt was made closer to shore between 1.18 a.m. and 2.49 a.m. but the helicopter could not winch the man on board and so returned to Castletownbere to refuel. 

Castletownbere’s all weather lifeboat “”Roy & Barbara Harding” was put on alert  at 2.50.am and slipped her moorings as 3.01 a.m. under the command of Coxswain Brian O’Driscoll with crew Brendan Gonnelly, Michael Martin-Sullivan Jnr., Paddy O’Conor, Willie Russell, Jimmy Murphy, Paul Stevens and Joe-Tim O’Sullivan. The lifeboat arrived on scene at 3.53 am. However the heavy swell prevented lifeboat crew boarding the vessel and both vessels proceeded down Bantry Bay in an Eastwardly direction until it was possible to board the fishing trawler.

The lifeboat had to make three separate approaches to land three lifeboat crew   on the “Skellig Dawn” to administer first aid to the man.  The casualty had a suspected broken pelvis, leg and shoulder and given the extensive nature of his injuries and the confined space he was in, it took some time to prepare him for transfer to the lifeboat. When he was ready for transfer the lifeboat approached the vessel in the heavy swell and the casualty strapped in a basket stretcher was passed to the lifeboat in the few seconds that both vessels were level. The lifeboat approached the vessel a further three times to recover the crew members one at a time. The lifeboat then proceeded back to Castletownbere and landed the casualty on the pier at Dinish Island where Valentia Coastguard Radio had arranged an ambulance and doctor. At 5..33 am he was transferred by Coastguard helicopter to Cork University Hospital where a spokesperson described the injured mans condition as “stable” Castletownbere lifeboat was refuelled and ready for service again by 6.00 am.