An Irish Coast Guard volunteer, who was a mother of two children, died after a rescue boat capsized and threw the three people on board into the sea off Kilkee, Co Clare, yesterday.
The other two volunteers were rescued, but one of them spent several hours trapped on a ledge at the base of a cliff before being winched to safety.
The woman who died was Caitriona Lucas (41), who worked as a librarian with Clare County Council. She was the first Coast Guard volunteer to die on a search and recovery operation.
Ms Lucas, who lived in Liscannor, was taking part in a search for a man reported missing last week. She was an experienced member of the Doolin Coast Guard team in which she served alongside her husband Bernard.
Originally from Ballyvaughan in Clare, Ms Lucas worked as a librarian with the County Council and she also trained her dogs with the Search And Rescue Dog Association.
The three crew members were thrown from their Delta rigid inflatable boat (rib) on the western side of Kilkee Bay at lunchtime. The Rib was extensively damaged after being swept on to the base of a cliff.
It is understood weather conditions prevented the search operation going ahead until shortly before lunchtime and there were heavy afternoon swells.
Once the alarm was raised a major rescue operation was mounted with the Doolin unit of the Coast Guard along with Kilrush and Aran Islands RNLI lifeboats mobilised.
The crew of the Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter, Rescue 115, recovered two women from the water. Ms Lucas was airlifted to University Hospital Limerick in an unresponsive state and was later pronounced dead.
Paramedics
The other woman, Jenny Carway, was taken to Kilkee Coast Guard station where she was treated by ambulance paramedics before being transported to hospital for further assessment.
The Waterford-based helicopter, Rescue 117, continued the attempt to reach the third volunteer, James Lucey, who was trapped on a ledge in a sea cave.
Conditions were judged too dangerous to mount a recovery operation from the water.
Mr Lucey climbed some way up along the cliff face but was hampered by crashing waves. Kilkee Fire and Rescue Service was sent to the scene and set up climbing equipment in an effort to reach him.
Members of Doolin Coast Guard, specially trained in cliff rescue, abseiled and remained with him until it was safe to carry out a rescue. He was winched on to the helicopter at about 5.30pm and flown to hospital.
He was reported not to have been injured but was exhausted and badly shaken.
Supt Brendan McDonagh, speaking at the scene, said: “This is an awful tragedy. The sea conditions today were horrendous and members of the Coast Guard were out searching for a missing man when this happened. They do an outstanding job even in these sort of conditions.”
President Michael D Higgins has written to express his condolences to the family of Ms Lucas .
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said: “To learn of the death of Caitriona, and of injury to her colleagues brings home the real dangers our rescue personnel face and this awful news casts a dark shadow over people all over the island.”
Minister for Transport Shane Ross, said Ms Lucas had made the ultimate sacrifice. “Caitriona was a member of that extraordinary group of men and women who dedicate their skills, time and passion so that others may be safe on our coastlines,” he said. “This is an appalling tragedy; the loss of a brave and valiant woman engaged in the most heroic of and unselfish of duties.
“Such remarkable courage and heroism in the service of others is rarely equalled and never surpassed.”
Mr Ross also praised the other rescuers involved and said: “I can only applaud their bravery and empathise with their sorrow on this very, very tragic day.”
Irish Coast Guard spokesman Declan Geoghegan confirmed there would be an inquiry into the tragedy.
Rogue wave
“We don’t know if it was a heavy swell or a rogue wave or what happened but we got a mayday call at around midday when a Coast Guard boat got into difficulty. We mobilised rescue boats and the helicopter to the scene. They obviously got thrown into the water and unfortunately we lost a colleague. Our other colleagues were rescued.”
The Irish Coast Guard Facebook page later changed its profile photo to an image of the service logo with a black band through it, while the page received many expressions of sympathy.
The Irish Coast Guard added: “The Coast Guard extends sincere condolences to the Lucas family and all the volunteer members of the Doolin and Kilkee units.
“The Coast Guard also wishes to thank all the other organisations that participated in today’s search.”
Members of the local community in Kilkee have voiced their shock at the volunteer’s death.
“I can’t believe this. I was walking the cliff and saw all the emergency services and thought they had found the missing man. I stayed for a while and realised it was more serious than that,” a local woman said.
“We always hear how the Coast Guard risk their lives for others but you always hope that something like this doesn’t happen. This is shocking altogether,” another onlooker said.