20/11/2025
It's been a busy week for Lough Erne Coastguard Rescue team.
On the morning of Thursday 13th, the team was tasked along with other emergency services to a situation near Portora Castle. No further details will be made available about this tasking.
Later that evening, the team were again tasked with our emergency colleagues to a car trapped in floodwater with three occupants. We assisted in the recovery of the vehicle and ensured that all were safe. We would like to take this opportunity to advise drivers to be aware during heavy rain that there are a number of areas locally that can cause flooding and to heed cautionary signs.
On Sunday, we attended a vessel adrift near Carrybridge and along with Carrybridge RNLI ensured that the boat was secured.
Monday was an interesting day.
One of our volunteers Coastguard Rescue Officers (CRO) was working near Crom in his own vehicle when he was asked by a local farmer if he could hear cries for help. The officer and the farmer then observed a male in distress on the Upper Lough who appeared to be calling for help. The farmer spoke to the police while the CRO contacted HM Coastguard who began to mobilise an emergency response including the remaining team members from Lough Erne CRT.
While the emergency services were being deployed, the farmer and the CRO made their way to a field on the opposite side of the water to make contact with the distressed male. It became apparent that the male was in need of immediate help and the CRO made his way through to the lough shore where he found the male slumped in a small dinghy. The male had fallen into the water several times whilst trying to start his outboard engine and was suffering from the effects of hypothermia.
The CRO managed to get to the dinghy and rowed the boat to try to get towards an area of recovery. Unfortunately, this was not possible due to the density of reeds and rushes and the distance the causalty would have to wade to safety. Thankfully, the CRO was able to get the boat's outboard engine restarted and whilst monitoring the casualty, the two made their way to a pontoon further up the lough where the gentleman was handed over to our colleagues from NIAS. Lough Erne CRT, NIFRS and PSNI also attended and assisted with the recovery of the male who by now was struggling with the effects of cold water trauma and supported the CRO who also was beginning to feel the cold as the sun began to set.
There are several points that we would like to highlight from this:
The male unfortunately was not wearing a life jacket or buoyancy aid. This would have undoubtably helped the male when he entered the water to self recover and reduce his time in the cold water.
The male due to the effects from the cold water did not use his mobile phone to call for help, cold water shock can cause even the simplest tasks to become impossible.
The male was very lucky that the farmer had heard his call and that a Coastguard volunteer was there, this reduced the time it would take to co-ordinate emergency response and assist in his recovery. Had those people not have been there and with the shorter and colder days, the male would have deteriorated and made search and recovery harder.
Our volunteers throughout HM Coastguard are often people like you; With jobs and families but who have undergone training to deal with incidents on or near the water. They are able to risk assess, co-ordinate emergency response, offer first aid at a high level and search for and rescue those who need our help.
HM Coastguard recruit regularly, please keep a look out to see when your local team is recruiting. As can been seen from above, that training could mean you are the right person in the right place at the right time.
Finally,
Please never endanger yourself by entering the water to rescue someone else, call #999 Coastguard and familiarise yourself with any life-saving equipment nearby and use that.
