Arranmore RNLI launched for first time in 2025 to assist in medical evacuation

The volunteer crew of Arranmore RNLI were requested to assist in a medical evacuation from the island at 11.15 this morning.
This is the first call for assistance for the lifeboat in the New Year.

The casualty was handed over by the island voluntary ambulance service to the lifeboat crew for transfer to a waiting ambulance in Burtonport and then on to Letterkenny University Hospital.

It is also the first Arranmore call out for coxswain Karl O’Neill who is currently on relief duty at the station. Karl, from Portrush, has been a crew member on the Portrush lifeboat for 18 years and recently passed out as a fleet relief coxswain which involves travelling to various RNLI stations within the Irish fleet to provide relief services where needed. Karl’s uncle, Anthony Chambers was the mechanic on the Portrush lifeboat until his retirement several years ago.

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"Most of my family have been involved in volunteering with the RNLI for years, I started when I was eighteen and was a crew member with the Portrush RNLI as well as being a Lifeguard Supervisor for a number of years," Karl said. "We would have been involved in a few medical evacuations from Rathlin Island and it is a great service to provide to the islands. On behalf of the Arranmore crew, I would like to wish the patient a speedy recovery."

Arranmore RNLI volunteer crew on board were, Coxswain Karl O’Neill, Trainee coxswain Kieran O’Donnell, Mechanic Philip Mc Cauley, Finbar Gallagher, Pat Boyle, Julie Savoie, Aisling Cox.