The RNLI this week released its annual report which showed that they brought almost 1,300 people to safety last year nationally. In Mayo both the Achill and Ballyglass lifeboats rescued 48 people over the year, with the Achill based lifeboat was launched 29 times to rescue 30 people and the Ballyglass lifeboat rescuing 18 people. So far this year the Ballyglass station has launched its boat twice, on Friday January 3 at 6.49am and on Saturday January 11 at 1.35pm. The Achill lifeboat has not been launched so far this year.
Tom Honeyman from the Achill lifeboat station told the Mayo Advertiser: “It was an exceptional year for us last year, 29 call-outs was above the norm recently. I think it was only in the region of eight call-outs that we had the year before.”
While there were some very good periods of weather last summer, Mr Honeyman did not put the increase in call-outs down to that. “I suppose it may have had an effect, but it wasn’t call-outs to deal with issues close to the shore we were dealing with, mostly it was further out.”
While the boat has not had to be launched yet this year the crew is ready to go when called on, he said. “The 21-strong volunteer crew for the boat are training all the time and ready to go when a call comes in this year.”
