The Baltimore RNLI inshore lifeboat Bessie has been a busy bee here lately, helping rescue more then 10 Yachts in the past year. As Donna Summer sang in th 1980′s hit “She Works Hard For The Money” lifeboat Bessie continues to help the heroes day in and day out. Below are a few recent rescues involving Bessie.
July 13th 2010
Baltimore RNLI inshore lifeboat Bessie, was launched this morning to assist a yacht that had gone aground at an area called the Sound, North West of Baltimore Harbour. The alarm was raised at 11:52am when the 36ft Sun Odyssey yacht was seen aground across the Harbour.
Helmsman Youen Jacob with his crew of Kieran Collins and John McDonagh made their way to the stricken vessel on an RNLI twin engine Atlantic 75 RIB.
On arrival at the scene they found the crew hauling on their anchor line in an attempt to pull themselves off the rocks.
The inshore lifeboat gave assistance by creating a wash which lifted the boat from its rocky perch.
The lifeboat then escorted the yacht back to Baltimore Harbour. The yacht did not suffer any significant damage and all four passengers on board, two men and two women were uninjured.
June 20th 2010
Both the all-weather lifeboat and inshore RNLI lifeboats based in Baltimore Harbour were called to give assistance on Saturday evening 19th June.
The inshore lifeboat Bessie was called at 18:45 to standby a 58ft motor yacht that was disabled and adrift in Glandore Harbour having hit a rock.
Helm Youen Jacob assisted by crewmen Kieran Collins and Diarmuid Collins stoody by alongside the Courtmacsherry lifeboat as the motor yacht was towed to safety in Union Hall.
The inshore lifeboat has just been returned to its compound on the pier, when a second alert was raised at 22.25. This time the all-weather lifeboat Hilda Jarrett, responded to a medical emergency on Cape Clear Island.
The Public Health Nurse stabilised the casualty prior to the young man being taken on board at North Harbour on Cape Clear Island.. The ambulance service met the lifeboat on its return to Baltimore to transfer the casualty to hospital.
The lifeboat was returned to base at 00.10 on Sunday morning. Coxswain Kieran Cotter, was assisted by his crew of Micheal Cottrell, Don O’Donovan, Diarmuid Collins, Brian Ormond, Simon Duggan and John O’Flynn. Baltimore RNLI’s newest volunteer, Diarmuid Collins, attended both calls.
These two incidents demonstrate the versatility of the RNLI lifeboat capacity at Baltimore. The inshore lifeboat is a twin engine Atlantic 75 RIB, purpose designed for rapid response to inshore emergencies, whilst the larger all-weather lifeboat is suited to long range calls and medical evacuations.
April 8th 2010
The tide was falling so assistance was immediately required. At 17:44, the Baltimore inshore lifeboat Bessie, was requested to go to the assistance of the stricken vessel. Bessie is a twin-outboard Rigid Inflatable Boat that is capable of a top speed of 32 knots.
When the lifeboat arrived on scene, Helm Micheal Cottrell assessed the situation. The yacht was stuck fast on a rock on the North East corner of the East Skeam Island. A tow was passed to the schooner.
Initially the inshore lifeboat attempted to pull the yacht off the rocks directly from behind, but the she did not budge. The vessel was listing 10 degrees on the rock, so it was decided to try a tow applied at right angles and this strategy proved successful in shifting the yacht from its perch.
The crew of the lifeboat then took 2 women and the little girl aboard as the journey time back to the yacht moorings at Sherkin Island was considerable. The lifeboat took the women and the little girl to Sherkin Island. The yacht was able to make her own way back to Sherkin with the rest of the passengers.
Sources [RNLI.org]
