Coast Guard and Air Corps crews combined at the weekend to transfer a Japanese fisherman to hospital when he was seriously injured in an accident in the north Atlantic.
The rescue, 360 miles north-west of Donegal, which involved refuelling a Coast Guard helicopter at sea, was successfully completed yesterday at 11am, more than 24 hours after the alarm was raised at 9.30am on Saturday.
The 34-year-old seaman was taken to University College Hospital, Galway. He was injured when he was dragged along the deck of his ship after a tuna hook became embedded in his head while he was putting out lines.
An SOS was sent to the Malin Head Coast Guard station from which the rescue was co-ordinated. A helicopter took off from Strandhill, Co Sligo, but because of the distance involved it had to refuel on an oil-rig in the Corrib gas field.
The skipper of the Japanese vessel, the 55-metre Sho Shin Maru 38, was instructed to sail towards land to come within range of the rescue helicopter. An Air Corps Casa fixed-wing aircraft flew from Baldonnel with the specific task of overflying the helicopter to co-ordinate the rescue.
On the return flight the helicopter again had to touch down to refuel at Blacksod before flying on with the injured man to Galway airport. An ambulance then ferried the sailor to hospital.