9 February 2017
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
A lone yachtsman was airlifted off the south coast this evening by the Waterford based Coast Guard helicopter, R117. The alarm was raised when the Coast Guard detected the transmission of a PLB (personal locator beacon) and immediately tasked a helicopter to carry out a search. In difficult weather conditions a RIB crew from the Irish Naval Service vessel ‘LE James’ succeeded in getting the yachtsman off his vessel before facilitating his transfer to the Coast Guard helicopter. The casualty was subsequently airlifted to Cork.
Coast Guard operations manager Gerard O’Flynn complimented the Navy RIB crew for their excellent seamanship and highlighted the importance of technology such as PLBs in saving lives at sea. The Coast Guard has issued a navigation warning on the sinking yacht.
