Search and Rescue helicopter

whatsyourquota

Seems to be searching the river around the cathedral been there a good while now and I can hear plenty of sirens, anybody have any idea whats going on?

harryd2

Yeah see it out with the spotlight circling.. hope nobody hurt

bill murray

Its a woman apparently.Can't be good to be in the water this long People heard her screaming

harryd2

poor woman.. hope she's ok..

ronnie3585

Damn cold night for anyone to go into the river.

Can still hear the chopper there now.

Hope they get the person out safely

The Cool

Aw no. I'm in a fourth floor apartment behind Jury's and they're flying so low I can see the people in the helicopter. They seemed to be going from the cathedral to the Claddagh and over and back, but the seem to be staying upstream now.

bill murray

Lot of bad things happening around galway last couple of days :mad:

bigtuna

They seem to be searching the river from claddagh to cathedral. Helicopter has been going up and down for the last while. Hope she will be ok.

harryd2

Someone on twitter says alot of smoke
"Helicopter out with searchlights in #Galway city, seems to be a lot of smoke. Anyone know what's happening?"

magentas

god hope nobody is hurt but it doesn't sound good:(

Aiel

Im at Fr.Griffin Road,can hear at least one chopper circling.

James Forde

Fire up in bohermore might explain smoke. Fire in cill ard

Starie1975

We can hear it from St marys road see it down at woulfe tone bridge. Hope she's okay


It's just gone.

djfitzerjnr

I'm down here near Monroe's at it's been around at least 25 mins here, we saw it below at the bridge for a good while. hope she's ok.

Das Kitty

I can hear a helicopter here in Knocknacarra for the last while.

Rob!

Ya pretty much live on the river beside the back of Born.
They we're over our house a good 15 minutes so low that my clothes blew of the washing line. I could see a crowd of about 50 ppl on the canal watching too.......but i suppose if somebody is actually in the water, some extra eyes couldnt hurt.

It must be freezing though. And they've been searching for at least 25 minutes now. Really hope whoever it is is ok!

friendface

Just the one helicopter searching. Just moving between the weir and a bit down from the bridge behind Born.

Yddil

Seems to have gone now, surely they would have stuck around if they'd found anyone.
Do you think they might need help with the search?

bigtuna

Yddil wrote: »

Seems to have gone now, surely they would have stuck around if they'd found anyone.
Do you think they might need help with the search?

Was just going to ask that.

Holybejaysus

I can't imagine anyone surviving in the water for too long in this cold. A matter of minutes at most.

Anyone know where they are, if people want to see if they can help?

Aiel

I could be wrong but could be re-fueling?

bigtuna

I live in Abbeygate Street. I saw the helicopter go in the direction of the cathedral/courthouse. I can't see the canal so not sure if people are down there.

Cicero

Spent 1/2 hour on river this evening...watching guards, fire brigrdade, sea rescure & ambulance search the river...God be witih anyone there in trouble this evening...
......an hour later....helicopter over-head......not a pleasant sound at all....

Holybejaysus

Holybejaysus wrote: »

I can't imagine anyone surviving in the water for too long in this cold. A matter of minutes at most.

I wouldn't think it's that bad, sure there was people down practising for the xmas day swim a few days ago, would having clothes on make it any worse?. Would it be any worse at night?

How does someone end up falling in(in general), even more so how does someone end up falling in during this weather at this time.

Xiney

Holybejaysus wrote: »

I can't imagine anyone surviving in the water for too long in this cold. A matter of minutes at most.

The air is colder than the water - it's not the arctic no matter what RTE say. It's not something you'd want to be in for a long time but it's not the south pole in terms of killing you in a matter of a few minutes either.

Holybejaysus

Deleted User wrote: »

Anyone know where they are, if people want to see if they can help?

Leave it to the professionals. Well meaning but non trained civilians are more of a hazard than anything else in rescue situations. The local fire station has plenty of experience and equipment.

I wouldn't think it's that bad, sure there was people down practising for the xmas day swim a few days ago, would having clothes on make it any worse?. Would it be any worse at night?

How does someone end up falling in(in general), even more so how does someone end up falling in during this weather at this time.

Xmas swimmers only stay in very briefly. Someone in the river for over 25 minutes is in a very serious situation, especially in they aren't used to the cold water. The cold shock alone can give you a heart attack.
As for how they got there, who knows. Probably one of 3 scenarios: Accident, drunk horseplay, or suicide attempt.

Rob!

Aiel wrote: »

I could be wrong but could be re-fueling?

Was thinking that also. And they're not just going to stop because they think somebody might not have survived that long either. They'l keep searching till somebody is found. Not sure where i read it but as far as i know....you've a higher chance of being revived if you're in freezing cold water too. Although then there is the issue of hypothermia. That said, I'm no expert whatsoever.........

kippy

Xiney wrote: »

The air is colder than the water - it's not the arctic no matter what RTE say. It's not something you'd want to be in for a long time but it's not the south pole in terms of killing you in a matter of a few minutes either.

To be fair, it is more the current and chances of drowning that are the things that would kill you first.

I really hope they find whomever they are looking for.

ronnie3585

Xiney wrote: »

The air is colder than the water - it's not the arctic no matter what RTE say. It's not something you'd want to be in for a long time but it's not the south pole in terms of killing you in a matter of a few minutes either.

The water temperature is no more than 6 or 7 degrees. Given wind chill and water currents there aren't many people who could last more than a matter or minutes.

It's probably a recovery mission at this stage unfortunately.

soundbyte

Xiney wrote: »

It's not something you'd want to be in for a long time but it's not the south pole in terms of killing you in a matter of a few minutes either.

Actually, your entire system shuts down in a matter of minutes. Restricted breathing plus muscles that won't work plus the weight of wet clothes is very bad news. Hope I'm wrong in this instance.

plonk

Are we even sure someone is in the river?

The Cool

Cicero wrote: »

Spent 1/2 hour on river this evening...watching guards, fire brigrdade, sea rescure & ambulance search the river...God be witih anyone there in trouble this evening...
......an hour later....helicopter over-head......not a pleasant sound at all....

Jesus, if they're searching that long whoever it is couldn't be alive. Total speculation here though, wee prayer that whomever it is ends up alright.

Shlippery

I live just behind jurys car park..Helicopter just knocked off the search light and flew away fifteen minutes ago, the guards have parked up outside mill street, and are searching the banks on the far side of the river (opposite born) with torches.

harryd2

Just announced on Galway bay FM news. Woman gone missing near the river. Shannon coast guard is assistning

Cicero

plonk wrote: »

Are we even sure someone is in the river?

all I know is that there is a lot of activity tonight on the Cladagh....divers, boat, guards, life-guard. ambulance and fire brigade and eventually helicopter..after that...I can't say any more...

JohnCleary

We're normally drafted in for this kind of rescue, either in the water or on land. I'm 'offline' this week because of study/exams. To summarise, the water is COLD at the moment.

The fresh water is about 3.5 degrees, salt water is warmer (not sure exact temp now). It takes very little time for your body to enter early stages of hypothermia. To give an example of just how cold the river is at the moment, there are bits of ice vfloating around the place

Remember your body goes into Cardiac Arrest at 30 celcius, that's just 7 degrees lower than normal body temp.

Couple that with the fact that there's 12+ gates open at the wier. Plus it's night-time. If you're on the 'lower' river right now, god help you.

Hope it doesn't involve another body recovery, no one needs that.

whatsyourquota

Just back from the river, they were searching all along the bank then all of a sudden the helicopter flew away and everybody else went too. Not sure what happened. Can hear sirens around but the helicopter is nowhere in sight.

Xiney

kippy wrote: »

To be fair, it is more the current and chances of drowning that are the things that would kill you first.

This.

I grew up in Canada - people fall through the ice into lakes and rivers regularly. That water is probably colder & you've still got at least 15 minutes. In water like the corrib, my best guess (ignoring the current) would be half an hour.

It's when you get to the super cooled waters near the poles and in the North Atlantic etc (that would be frozen except for the major currents keeping that from happening) that you enter the realm of your 4 to 5 minute times.

the keen edge

Water temperature doesn't really come in to the equation.

Survival at night, in an emergency situation this time of year in the torrent that is the Lower Corrib would be a miracle.

Hopefully nobody has actually gone in.

WallyGUFC

No matter what the temperature, that water in the Corrib can move damn fast at times. 30 mins in there and you're way downstream. It's also freezing, maybe not Arctic but it really is very cold.

IMO nobody can last in the water that long without fatal consequences.

flynnlives

Just back from up around the salmon weir and then down nimmos.

Looks like the search has been called off or scaled back.

its freezing out there!

the keen edge

Xiney wrote: »

This.

I grew up in Canada - people fall through the ice into lakes and rivers regularly. That water is probably colder & you've still got at least 15 minutes. In water like the corrib, my best guess (ignoring the current) would be half an hour.

It's when you get to the super cooled waters near the poles and in the North Atlantic etc (that would be frozen except for the major currents keeping that from happening) that you enter the realm of your 4 to 5 minute times.

+1

Many people swim year round in Salthill.
The daily water temperature at Salthill is currently either side of 10 degrees Celsius.

Mrs OBumble

Fingers crossed, prayers and all .. but in this weather I have a nasty feeling.

Mr Just thinks he saw the garda armed support unit vehicle down there too. And he took his camera out: fingers were too cold to get good photos of the searchers at work, but you get the drift:

Cicero

the keen edge wrote: »

Water temperature doesn't really come in to the equation.

Survival at night, in an emergency situation this time of year in the torrent that is the Lower Corrib would be a miracle.

Hopefully nobody has actually gone in.

I hope so too...was there this evening...

Are you guys really debating about temperature of water? There is a woman missing FFS.

My brother is a trained scuba diver and has been called out on one of these before- I really hope he isn't there now.

bill murray

Did realise it was a spectator sport.

Anyway women was heard screaming for help from the water earlier.

Xiney

My point is, it's not the temperature of the water that is the real danger - that river is deadly dangerous at all temperatures, hence at all times of the year.

People need to be careful around it, respect the water. It's much more than a picturesque part of our little town.

Steyr

Rescue115 EI-GCE has since returned back to Shannon Airport, she was searching using the searchlight and the Thermal Imaging/Heat equipment.

JohnCleary

the keen edge wrote: »

+1

Many people swim year round in Salthill.
The daily water temperature at Salthill is currently either side of 10 degrees Celsius.

I don't stay long, it gets quite unbearable after a while.

The reason for the post is... there is a BIG difference between the temprature on the river Corrib (fresh water) and Salthill (salt water). Not sure what the temp is in salt water at the moment, but it's around 7-8 degrees. At the moment the fresh water at the Salmon Weir is 3.5 degrees. Thats up to a 4.5 degree difference, which is massive