THE IRISH Coast Guard air/sea rescue service has marked its busiest year on record, and says changing climate has had a major influence on its activities.
The helicopter bases recorded 506 missions this year to date, flying from Shannon, Sligo, Dublin and Waterford.
Crews in all four bases were called out over the Christmas weekend.
Dublin’s crew and Howth Coast Guard were involved with the fire service in the rescue of a woman whose car slid 100m downhill from Howth Summit on December 26th.
This year’s figure follows 450 missions last year, and 459 missions in both 2007 and 2006.
Some 10 per cent of the tasks involved island medical evacuations – one of which was completed in a force 11 gale.
Earlier this month, three long-range missions completed by Shannon and Waterford crews involved flying to the edge of fuel limits to rescue injured fishermen and transport them to hospital in Cork.
Extreme weather, including more intense winds and flooding, was a feature of this year’s activity, Irish Coast Guard chief pilot Daithí Ó Cearbhalláin told The Irish Times.
“Climate change is definitely playing its part, with more people getting caught out in weather, and we expect this is only going to increase,” he said.
“Weather events predicted for every 50 years may now occur every 10, and this is something that will affect all those involved in rescue – both offshore and on land.”
Winch crews with the four helicopter bases are trained to paramedic status.
This allows winch crews to administer certain types of treatment en route to hospital. Irish Coast Guard crews are also involved regularly in cross-Border missions.
Shannon, the “oldest” base in the Irish Coast Guard helicopter network, run by CHC, marked its 20th anniversary this year.
Following a successful campaign initiated by Donegal woman Joan McGinley in 1988, the first dedicated west coast air-sea base was established with an Air Corps Dauphin helicopter in September 1989.