This morning, the volunteers of Skerries Coast Guard undertook regular training with the Coast Guard Sikorsky S-61N Rescue helicopter at Red Island, Skerries. This involved selecting and preparing the Red Island landing site, with excellent weather conditions prevailing on scene.

The volunteers received a refresher ground briefing on all operational aspects of the Coast Guard helicopter and its capabilities.

Several volunteers took part in a familiarisation flight along the Coast towards the Skerries team’s Northern SAR boundary of Laytown.

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This evening, the Volunteers of Skerries Coast Guard took part in a night search and rescue exercise.

A search of Red Island was conducted using 2 teams. A casualty was located and was assessed,treated and evacuated by stretcher to an area suitable for extraction by helicopter.

This exercise included training in search techniques, first aid, radio communications and team work.

Weather conditions on the night were fair with good visibility in a moderate S.W. breeze

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Weather conditions were favourable, with good visibility and freshening Southerly winds. All of the Skerries Coast Guard team had an opportunity to experience a flight in the helicopter.

Further rescue training took place on St. Patrick’s island, one of the three uninhabited islands off the coast of Skerries.

Once again, our thanks to the Dublin Coast Guard helicopter crew for a fantastic joint training exercise.

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The object of the exercise was to facilitate a helicopter landing under cover of darkness

A landing site was selected on Red Island, Skerries and the volunteers quickly cordoned, prepared and set up the designated landing site. The Irish Coast Guard helicopter (EI-RCG) made their approach and performed a brief landing, simulated casualty evacuation and departure.

The Coast Guard helicopter did some demonstration of their night time illumination equipment or “Night Sun”. This is used for night searches or night approaches for landing the aircraft. The Night Sun is remotely controlled by a crewman from within the helicopter and has a strength of 30 million candlepower.

Some of the Skerries volunteers also had a brief look at how the Helicopter crew uses F.L.I.R (Forward Looking Infra Red) technology to locate persons using thermal imagery.  

Weather conditions on scene were fair with a cold, light to moderate SW breeze.

Our thanks to the crew of EI-RCG for another professional job well done!

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The training also covered a practical demonstration in the use of the team’s night vision equipment.

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The unusual Easterly wind provided for a challenging landing approach from the South of the Martello Tower and as always the crew of EI-MES performed an admirable job.

The Skerries Coast Guard crew were given a full ground briefing on helicopter operations, including winching techniques, equipment, communications, disembarking procedures and landing sites.

 All of the Skerries Coast Guard crew also took part in a flight around the area.

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