Red Cross launches lifeboat- Facts & Figures

The launch takes place at 4pm.

The Minister for Community, Gaeltacht and Rural Affairs, Éamonn O'Cuiv TD will perform the launch. The ceremony will include an ecumenical blessing by Fr Billy O'Reilly pp, Clonbur and Rev Alisdair Grimmeson of Cong.

Pictures
The Red Cross will have a photographer available to take pictures of the event. His name is Andrew Downes and he can be contacted at 087 - 639 1500 and andrewdownes@eircom.net

The Media
Local and national media are invited to attend this event. Any queries to the National Communications Officer, Aoife Mac Eoin at 087 - 239 1984.

The Boat
The boat's name is "Red Arrow". Manufactured in Cushendall, Co. Antrim, the boat is a Redbay Rescue Rigid Inflatable Boat, (RIB). This kind of vessel consists of a rigid shell surrounded by an inflated ring and was built specially for working on Lough Mask and Lough Corrib.

Measuring 6.1 metres in length, this boat has a 4/60 horsepower engine and can travel at a speed of approximately 30 knots. It is particularly adapted for working in rough weather and can self-correct itself (turn itself right way up) if it capsizes. Equipped with VHF radio, the Red Arrow, is also able to work at night because it has GPS (satellite tracking) and is equipped for searchlights.

Up to ten people can be rescued by the Red Arrow at any one time and it will be crewed by three Red Cross members on a shift basis, drawn from a pool of 30 volunteers.

The boat cost Euro49,000 and was co-funded by the Irish Red Cross and the Leader programme.

The Search & Rescue Team
The Corrib-Mask Search and Rescue Team is led by Irish Red Cross Unit Officer, Tim Clesham and consists of approximately 30 Red Cross members all of whom have trained to the highest level in First Aid, known as First Responder. This means that the crew are trained to provide heart resuscitation using specialist defibrillator equipment and other forms of advanced First Aid. Most of the crew are local people involved in fishing, farming and business and will be undertaking more water rescue training. All of them are volunteers and will be available for call-outs through the Gardaí on a 24 hour, seven day a week basis.

The lakes
Lough Corrib is approximately twice the size of Lough Mask and consists of 60 square miles of water.

Although smaller, the northern lake, Lough Mask, can be dangerous because of its large number of rocky outcrops.

The need for this kind of service
Figures from the Irish Water Safety Campaign demonstrate a clear need to reduce the number of people who die from drowning - both accidental and otherwise.

In the last five years 30 children aged 14 and under have drowned in Ireland. On average each year 180 people die from drowning.

The Irish Red Cross in Galway and Mayo
Founded nearly 7 years ago, the Irish Red Cross Branch in Clonbur, lies on the border between Galway and Mayo. The Clonbur Branch of the Red Cross consists of approximately 40 members. It was founded to provide an ambulance service locally, as some areas in the region are up to an hour and a half away from the nearest hospital.

The Red Cross also has branches in Claremorris, Co. Mayo, and in Oughterard, Portumna and Galway City in Galway. Recently the Clonbur Branch and the Oughterard Branch came together to form an Area (Red Cross regional joint-administrative unit for Branches), known as Connemara Area Red Cross. All of these Branches welcome new members and anyone wishing to join should contact their local Red Cross or the Irish Red Cross Head Office in Dublin on 01 - 676 5135/6/7. Anyone who does not live in a town or townland which has a Red Cross Branch and would like to develop one should contact Irish Red Cross Head Office in Dublin on 01 - 676 5135/6/7.

The Irish Red Cross and Water Safety
Founded in 1939, the Irish Red Cross has approximately 115 Branches across Ireland and is a member of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, consisting of 181 National Societies worldwide, the International Federation of Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

From 1945 - 1971, the Irish Red Cross founded and ran the first Irish Water Safety Campaign. This service, which focussed on educating people about the dangers of water and the importance of learning to swim, proved such a success that it was developed into the stand-alone service that it is today. The Irish Red Cross is delighted to acknowledge the support of the Irish Water Safety Campaign, and in particular its Chief Executive Lt Cmdr John Leech, in the launch of our first search and rescue vessel.

A second search and rescue vessel is also planned so that two boats can provide a service to cover Lough Mask and Lough Corrib at any one time. As part of a fundraising initiative a raffle has been organised; the first prize is an Anglers Fancy Boat, in association with Bourke Boats, Ballinrobe and the second prize is a Euro2,000 holiday in association with Walkin Travel.

The Irish Red Cross is also exploring the possibility of launching a third life-saving craft in the midlands.

ENDS