Co. Donegal lifeboat is tasked on first shout of 2025 - with Portrush man as coxswain
A County Donegal RNLI crew has been tasked to its first call-out of 2025 – with a Portrush man at the helm as coxswain.
The volunteer crew of Arranmore RNLI were requested to assist in a medical evacuation from the island at 11.15 on Thursday, January 30.
The casualty was handed over by the island’s voluntary ambulance service to the lifeboat crew for transfer to a waiting ambulance in Burtonport and then on to Letterkenny University Hospital.
It is also the first Arranmore call out for coxswain Karl O’Neill from Portrush who is currently on relief duty at the station.
Karl, a crew member on the Portrush lifeboat for 18 years, recently passed out as a fleet relief coxswain which involves travelling to various RNLI stations within the Irish fleet to provide relief services where needed.
"Most of my family have been involved in volunteering with the RNLI for years, I started when I was 18 and was a crew member with the Portrush RNLI as well as being a Lifeguard Supervisor for a number of years,” said Karl.
"We would have been involved in a few medical evacuations from Rathlin Island and it is a great service to provide to the islands. On behalf of the Arranmore crew I would like to wish the patient a speedy recovery.”
Arranmore RNLI volunteer crew on board were Coxswain Karl O’Neill, Trainee Coxswain Kieran O’Donnell, Mechanic Philip Mc Cauley, Finbar Gallagher, Pat Boyle, Julie Savoie, Aisling Cox.