At 17.39 yesterday Howth Coast Guard had a request from a member of the public to assist them at their home as water was flooding their house and the street outside. Howth informed Dublin Coast Guard and went to the scene in Kinsealy with the salvage pump equipment. The pump was set up quickly on arriving but up to ten houses were in flood and the equipment meant for pumping out flooding boats unfortunately made little difference. The team now in drysuits made sure that the householders were safe and assisted where neccessary. At about 19.30 a large tanker pumping truck arrived and started to pump water into a drain unaffected by the floodwater. The team stood themselves down at 21.00 and returned back to the stationhouse. The truck stayed at the scene until 03.00.

While preparing the equipment at the station for the next call the team received a request from Dublin Fire Brigade to go and evacuate a family from a flooded house in Donaghmede. The team went quickly to the house but on searching the house and garden which was under three feet of water it was established that the family were safe and well and had already got out. Howth reported it back to the DFB and to Dublin MRCC and stood down.

While on route back to the station Howth then received a call from the DFB to go to Lusk where a house was flooded. On further communication with the householder it was confirmed that no life was in danger, the occupants did not want to leave the house and that the only requirement was that the house was pumped out. Howth reverted the call back to the DFB and asked Dublin MRCC that the Skerries CG unit, which is a nearer unit, be informed of the situation. Howth then stood down.

Altogether a long night for the volunteers at Howth.

Incident 28/08

Posted by admin on Monday, August 11th, 2008 at 1:17 am.