As Christmas approaches, the RNLI is issuing its own call for help as the charity’s volunteer lifeboat crews are getting busier.
The charity is facing a ‘Perfect Storm’ with more people than ever needing its help, meaning support from the public is more vital than ever.
Last year, Irish lifeboats launched 1,066 times coming to the aid of 1,441 people,19 of whom were lives saved.
Locally, Bundoran RNLI launched 14 times, rescuing 22 people. Five lived were saved thanks to the direct actions of the lifeboat crew.
To ensure the RNLI can continue its lifesaving work this Christmas and into the future, the charity is running a major fundraising appeal, The Perfect Storm.
While many people will be thinking about presents, turkey and time with the family, dedicated RNLI volunteers from three lifeboat stations in Donegal will be ensuring their yellow wellies and lifejackets are ready for when the call comes and will be prepared to drop everything at a moment’s notice to save lives at sea.
In many cases, volunteers will need to abandon their turkey dinner and head to their lifeboat station when the call for help comes in.
Bundoran RNLI volunteers: L-R Tony Cummins, Daimon Fergus and Damien McNamara
The community lifesaving team at Bundoran RNLI, can remember one such Christmas back in 1998 when two brothers were rescued from a surfing accident off the coast of Tullaghan, County Leitrim. The rescue was acknowledged by the RNLI with a written letter of commendation from the charity’s then Chief of Operations.
On the 28 December 1998, a surfer raised the alarm that two others could not get ashore.
Volunteer Daimon Fergus, who was one of three crew members called, recalled the south easterly force 5 offshore wind and a swell of 22ft at the time on that day.
They were guided to the location and swiftly recovered the two casualties.
Damien said: “I won’t forget the fact that the first surfer squeezed my hand so tight that he bent the thick silver ring on my right hand into my finger and the ring had to be cut off when we got back to the station.”
Bundoran RNLI
One of those surfers was Mark Ponsonby from Letterkenny who says he will be eternally grateful for the speedy launch of the lifeboat that day:
“It’s been over 20 years now since my brother and myself were rescued by the RNLI in the sea at Bundoran. I often wonder what would have happened to us or become of us if it wasn’t for the timely interaction and rescue by the RNLI services that day.
“In a matter of minutes, they had answered the emergency call and had launched the boat. The Irish Coast Guard helicopter was also tasked to come to our aid.
“The conditions we found ourselves in were extreme and treacherous and the timing was critical for that rescue as the light was fading fast, yet the RNLI volunteers didn’t hesitate to get to us as fast as possible.
“My family will forever be grateful to the RNLI on that day and will never forget what they did for my brother and me that day.”
Now, as the current volunteer lifeboat crew prepare for Christmas 2019, they too will be ready and willing to respond should their pagers go off.
For Daimon who has been a volunteer for 25 years, Christmas is no different to any other time of year: “We’ll still be on call ready to save lives and delay our own Christmas celebrations. We couldn’t do what we do without the support of the public. The RNLI has experienced a shortfall in funds, but we are rescuing more people than ever before. We are facing the Perfect Storm and are calling on people to make a donation this Christmas to ensure we can continue saving lives at sea.”
To support the RNLI’s Perfect Storm appeal this Christmas, helping to ensure the charity’s brave volunteers can continue saving lives at sea, please visit RNLI.org/ThePerfectStorm
