The Irish Coast Guard Cliff Rescue unit in Howth attended two cliff rescue calls this afternoon within 1 hour of each other on Howth Head.

The first call was for the team was at 15.45 where a man going shore fishing slipped ten metres while descending to rocks at Balscadden. The Coast Guard team arrived quickly and an EMT from the team administered critical medical care until the arrival of the paramedic from the Coast Guard helicopter. The fisherman's colleague was taken by the Howth Rnli lifeboat to Howth Harbour.

The casualty who had serious head injuries was winched aboard the Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116 and taken to Beaumont. Another crew from Howth Coast Guard along with the assistance of local Gardai secured the landing site and assisted with the transfer of the casualty to a waiting ambulance.

While some of the crew were assisting with the transfer above at 17.00 a call came in of a tourist trapped 25 meters up a 40 metre cliff at Whitewater brook near the Baily lighthouse. The team in Howth were closing down from the previous call at the station and were dispatched directly to the scene by the  Coast Guard's National Maritime Operations Centre.

A rope cliff rescue was quickly set up and a rescue climber got to the casualty who was a tourist that had got confused on returning from the beach below and found himself unable to ascend or descend from a steep cliff face. He was secured to the rope system and brought to safety by the team, no further medical care was required.

Incident 67.15 and 68.15

Howth Coast Guard were tasked yesterday at 15.00 by the CG operations centre to prepare a landing site for CG Rescue 118, 118 was inbound with a medical transfer for Beaumont hospital from Sligo General due in at 16.00. Helicopter arrived in 16.30 and departed back for Sligo at 17.30. A team of 5 personnel attended from Howth CG, cleared the site and deployed smoke flares in what was heavy rain with reducing visibility. The team closed down at 18.30. DFB, HSE and Gardai also attended.

Incident 66.15

At 7.30am this morning (16/9/15) Dublin Fire Brigade received reports of smoke coming from a Fishing Trawler engine room at the end of the West Pier in Howth Harbour. The Irish Coast Guard National Maritime Operations Centre (NMOC) was alerted by the Fire Brigade, a unit from Howth Coast Guard and the Howth RNLI inshore lifeboat were tasked to monitor potential pollution and to support if needed. Units of the Fire Service from Kilbarrack and North Strand attended the scene and extinguished a fire in the engine room. @DubFireBrigade @HowthRnli

Incident 65/15

Last Friday evening Howth Coast Guard were tasked to a boat aground on the north shore of Malahide estuary. Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116, Skerries Coast Guard unit and both Howth RNLI lifeboats were also in attendance.

Incident 64/15

Two crew members investigated reports of a boat in difficulty off Howth, false alarm good intentions.

Incident 61/15

Howth Coast Guard were tasked last night at 19.18 to prepare the landing site at Beaumont hospital for an incoming helicopter from Sligo.
As the team were travelling to the hospital they were stood down as the helicopter was delayed on scene in Sligo and was then routed to Dublin airport as the light was failing.

Incident 63/15

Today at 1700hrs the Irish Coast Guard unit at Howth Harbour was tasked to a person in difficulty on 50m sea cliffs near Ceanchor Road, Dublin. Unable to find a way off the beach, the person had climbed up the cliff from the beach below, and become crag-fast, unable to move up or down. The casualty was located on a small ledge of a vertical section 15 meters above the shoreline rocks below; equivalent to being on the 5th story of a high-rise building.

A sea cliff rescue climber from the Irish Coast Guard was lowered in from the top of the cliffs, and using a rescue strop, secured the casualty into a safe position clear of rockfall. The response team used a rope rescue haul system to recover both climber and casualty to the cliff top. The casualty required no further medical assistance and was assisted by Gardai back to their transportation. 

The Irish Coast Guard would like to thank the members of the public who alerted the emergency services using "CASPER"; Call 112, Ask for the correct service, Speak clearly and slowly, give a good Position, Explain the emergency, and Remain where you are.

If you spot somebody in difficulty on the coast, cliffs, or at sea, call 112 and ask for Coast Guard.

Incident 62/15