Coast Guard brings Spanish fisherman ashore for medical treatment
The Irish Coast Guard has brought a Spanish fisherman ashore for medical treatment after he began suffering acute abdominal pain 70 miles off the south coast.
Valentia Coast Guard said it received a call at 3.30pm on Tuesday in relation to the 47-yer-old crewman who was aboard a Spanish fishing trawler. The vessel was 70 miles southwest of Castletownbere.
Rescue Helicopter 115 was tasked from Shannon and conducted the medical evacuation, landing at Cork Airport at 6.44pm, at which point the man was taken immediately to Cork University Hospital for treatment.
It's understood the helicopter was the only aircraft over the south of the country at the time it conducted the operation.
Yesterday the Irish Coast Guard conducted a medical evacuation of an injured crew man from a fishing vessel 70 miles south of Cork. Coast Guard Helicopter R115 track shown below. Mission Coordinated by MRSC Valentia. Well done to all involved in the mission. pic.twitter.com/vfOT7q5Usf
— Irish Coast Guard (@IrishCoastGuard) April 15, 2020
A spokesperson for the Coast Guard said the number of callouts it has had to deal with has fallen considerably due to the restrictions imposed because of the Covid-19 outbreak.
"The weather has calmed down, there are less storms," he said. "Fellas are not getting into too much bother."
The spokesperson said many of the callouts at this time of the year would b tourism-related, such as people taking out boats for the first time and it not being serviced or running out of fuel, or people becoming trapped on beaches or coves. However, due to the current lockdown, the number of emergency calls has fallen.
