The Irish Coast Guard successfully assisted the HSE with the medical evacuation of a young transplant patient from Dublin to London yesterday.
The request for assistance was received by the Coast Guard at 2am yesterday morning and involved a very critical timeframe. Within ten minutes, the Dublin-based Coast Guard helicopter crew were assembled, briefed and shortly afterwards, Rescue 116 and crew were en-route to Heathrow airport in London with the young patient, who was later transferred to Kings Cross Hospital.
The medical evacuation yesterday was just one of a number of similar incidents involving Coast Guard crews around Ireland in the past 48 hours;
At 11am on Thursday, Dublin Coast Guard co-ordinated the rescue by the RNLI of 6 children and an adult from overturned canoes off Clogherhead.
At 16:38pm on Thursday the Shannon-based Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue 115 lifted an injured crewmember from a fishing vessel in the Shannon Estuary where he were later transferred by ambulance to the mid-Western Regional Hospital.
At 17:52pm Thursday evening, the Castletown Coast Guard Unit were tasked to respond to a call of an injured person on rocks at Ballydongen Beach, Allihies, Co. Cork.
At 7:56am Friday morning, the Shannon-based Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 115 evacuated an ill crewmember from a fishing vessel 105 miles west of Loop Head with the Sligo Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue 118 standing by as top cover for the long distance operation.
Speaking yesterday, Director of the Irish Coast Guard Chris Reynolds said: “It might seem like a busy 48 hours for the Coast Guard – but this is nothing out of the ordinary for our teams, who operate on a 24/7 basis and are always on standby in the event of emergencies. I would like to congratulate all of our teams who were involved in the successful medical evacuations that took place in the 48 hours. In particular, the evacuation at very short notice of the young transplant patient yesterday morning. It is very unusual for the Coast Guard to operate out as far east as London, but we are delighted that the transfer went smoothly and that we could help.“
Further information:
Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport Press Office: (01) 604 1076 / (01) 604 1090.
