LAURENCE MACKIN spends a day with the Howth Coast Guard, and discovers their vital, voluntary work can be distressing as well as rewarding
THE CALL comes in the late afternoon, when the Howth Coast Guard boat crew is within metres of the harbour wall, after a long day’s training.
It started with climbing practice on the crumbly cliffs near Red Rock in Sutton, followed by a bike patrol along the coastline, and finally a boat patrol that many of the crew had been looking forward to. Earlier in the week, a humpback whale was spotted in the area for the first time in 20 years, and the slim chance of seeing such a creature breach adds to the high spirits as the crew’s rigid rnflatable boat (rib) moves out of the harbour, grumbling under the five knot speed limit.
The rib kicks like a horse over the waves, as coxswain Kieran MacMahon flicks the steering left and right with razor-sharp adjustments. He turns it hard through port and starboard, the crew instinctively leaning into the turns, one hand on handles in front, while floor straps and bent legs take the strain.
The rib skips up to Malahide in moments, and rounds the mysterious hulk of Lambay Island. The coast guards stop the occasional craft to check for lifejacket compliance – and to have a chat.
It is a perfect day’s training in beautiful conditions. By the afternoon the sun is beating on the waves, raising the spirits of the crew who are oiling the conversation, around the checking and cross-checking of equipment and observations, with sly insults and banter.
And then the call comes in.
A suspected casualty has been reported by tourists walking the cliffs outside Howth near Kill Rock. Details are hazy, but it later becomes apparent that someone fell, probably while whale watching. MacMahon opens the throttle and gets the boat to the area in less than a minute.
Ordinarily, it would be the duty of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to respond to such calls. “The RNLI will respond to the situation from the sea, and we would respond from the land,” says team member and public relations officer Fergus Cooney. Rescue helicopters and the RNLI’s larger, bulkier boats can only get so close to the ragged shoreline, so this is where the Coast Guard’s climbing expertise usually comes into play. In this instance, the Coast Guard is already on the water, and first on the scene.
Details drip from the radio, the location shifting from Kill Rock to Balscadden Bay, with the witnesses describing two other boats in the area; there are none on this stretch of water. A short burst of static and the operator again – a rescue helicopter is on the way. More details come through and it becomes apparent that the location is wrong.
Again, MacMahon opens the throttle and spins around the headland to Casanna Rock as the chopper arrives on the scene. On shore, the group that called in the sighting are waving at the rescue boat and helicopter to indicate the spot. The helicopter thunders overhead while coast guards, now at the scene on land, clear the area and establish a perimeter so the aircraft can get in close. Radio communication bounces back and forth and then there is a burst of chatter – the helicopter crew has found the casualty using its infrared camera.
The cliff face drops down into dense undergrowth before sloping out to a larger rock face that drops sheer to the water. The casualty is on this first patch of undergrowth, having fallen about 50 feet. A winch is lowered and one of the helicopter crew abseils down to where the casualty is, and minutes later is winching them on board before a transfer to hospital.
The helicopter lifts off and in the sudden stillness, with the water rocking the Rib in the sun, the crew try to calm down.
Then the radio crackles to life again – the casualty has died.
The mood deflates in a heartbeat. A bottle of water is passed around and words are short, a few soft curses and sighs.
A few “what ifs” bubble up in conversation, and are swiftly discarded – the team members performed exactly as training has taught them. It is desperately unfortunate that, in this case, it isn’t enough. The rib turns for home.
BACK ASHORE, THE crew unpacks equipment and sets about hosing down their gear. It must be difficult to pack the events of today away with the wetsuits and climbing gear, but there is little choice for men and women facing situations similar to this on a regular basis.
“There is support there if we need it, in terms of counselling,” says Fergus Cooney. “But most of us prefer to talk about it among ourselves and get it out that way.”
It’s a fairly common attitude, particularly among rescue services staffed by volunteers. The Howth Coast Guard has around 25 members, part of a network of 55 stations around the southern Irish coast, staffed by around 1,000 unpaid volunteers. This particular station covers a stretch from north of the Liffey to Malahide on the landside, and from Bray up to Skerries at sea. Last year, it had 69 call-outs of which about 10 were to recover bodies on the cliffs. This is a close group of committed individuals, who share the good and the bad.
The day ends in a haze of summer sunshine. On the harbour, there are people milling around feeding the seals and watching porpoises a little way off shore, packing up fishing gear while small schools of boats come in from a day’s sailing, and larger, plusher boats clank with pleasant chimes in their moorings.
The crew shake hands and say their goodbyes.
Belt up: A safety campaign from the Coast Guard
IF YOU SEE someone on cliffs, beaches or at sea or on inland lakes, rivers or waterways that you think may need help, call 112 or 999 and ask for the Coast Guard.
Buy an approved life jacket for everyone on board. Make sure it is suitable for where you're going and that it is the correct size.
Ensure equipment is well maintained. Wash it down with fresh water after use to avoid corrosion. The RNLI held a recent roadshow at Malahide and tested 86 jackets. Of these, only eight were in good working order with no faults, a 93 per cent failure rate
Listen to the weather forecast, and to local advice about currents and tides
Tell someone on land what time you're expected back and call them regularly. You can also inform the Coast Guard of your plans on radio.
Understand how your equipment works if you need it, including whistles and flares.
Prepare. Along with a life jacket, ensure that you have flares, communication equipment (mobile phones will not work at sea), GPS and an emergency plan.
