The volunteer RNLI lifeboat crew in the Aran Islands had a busy day earlier this week, getting called to two medical evacuations within hours of each other.
On Wednesday the Severn class all-weather lifeboat was called out by the Coast Guard twice to evacuate patients to an ambulance at Rossaveal Harbour in difficult seas.
The first launch came at 4:50 in response to an elderly man who had injured his leg in a fall on Inis Meain.
Weather conditions at the time of launching were choppy with a 1.5m sea swell and a west to south westerly force 5-6 wind blowing.
Later that same night at 11:05pm the lifeboat was called out to Inis Mór to a sick man who needed further medical attention.
Conditions on the sea were worse than earlier with a 2m swell and a west to south westerly force 6-8 wind.
Coxswain John O’Donnell was at the helm on both occasions with a full crew of RNLI volunteers.
“Yesterday was a busy one for the volunteer crew members but they are always ready to answer the call and happy to help out,” Mr O’Donnell said.
He added that the crew would like to wish both patients a speedy recovery.
The RNLI operates over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and since being founded in 1824 its volunteers have saved more than 142,700 lives on the water.
photo credit: RNLI/Nicholas Leach
