ICG - Rescue 115, Longest range rescue- ongoing

knucklehead6

Just saw this on the journal

http://www.thejournal.ie/coast-guard-rescue-940725-Jun2013/

THE LONGEST EVER search and rescue mission carried out from Ireland is currently underway by the Irish Coast Guard.
Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 115 from Shannon is evacuating an urgent medical case from a cruise ship 800 miles west of Ireland. The Sikorsky 92 Helicopter is also refuelling at an oil rig on route.
This mission is achievable due to the replacement of Coast Guard helicopters with the new long range versions. Shannon is the only one currently live with Dublin and Sligo to follow shortly.
More to follow…

Danbo!

Track here:
http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/

About 80miles sw right now (can't provide a direct link)

seven_eleven

Vessel is out of range on the marinetraffic map. So lost contact, not sure at what distance though.

anybody know which oil rig in specific they will be refuelling at? I didn't even know there was one out that direction.

who the fug

See here

lovelyhurler

Godspeed to all involved. It's going to be a long day.

Peregrine

seven_eleven wrote: »

anybody know which oil rig in specific they will be refuelling at? I didn't even know there was one out that direction.

The rig is called 'Eirik Raude'

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?oldmmsi=308463000&zoom=10&olddate=lastknown

Cruise ship is the MS Marina

S-92 had a technical fault and an engineer is being dispatched to the rig on an S-61.

Rescue 115 on rig and has a technical fault so mission on hold. Cruise liner told to carry on closing the coast. Engineer being dispatched to Rescue 115. Lively day!

just a warning light but cant go out deep blue with no other return option but to get back to refuel on a tiny dot of a rig in the ocean. may be nothing but safety first. If Engineer cant immediately fix it the S61 which brings him out will carry on and complete the mission later this afternoon once the liner has closed to sufficient range.

Edit: Quotes from ICG facebook page

knucklehead6

http://www.oceaniacruises.com/ships/marina/default.aspx

the cruise liner involved

n0brain3r

Can the rig accommodate two helicopters or will the engineer be winched down?

Peregrine

n0brain3r wrote: »

Can the rig accommodate two helicopters or will the engineer be winched down?

It's interesting..

Here's a picture of what I believe is the rig:



They did say "If the engineer cant immediately fix it, the S61 which brings him out will carry on and complete the mission later this afternoon once the liner has closed to sufficient range."

seven_eleven

Wow that must be really annoying to have to postpone something like that.

johndoe11

Thats the Rig. It's drilling the Dunquin Gas Field for Exxon Mobile.

n0brain3r

Nimrod 7 wrote: »

It's interesting..

Here's a picture of what I believe is the rig:



They did say "If the engineer cant immediately fix it, the S61 which brings him out will carry on and complete the mission later this afternoon once the liner has closed to sufficient range."

That certainly looks tight but it's hard to get a sense of scale from the pic.

Peregrine

n0brain3r wrote: »

That certainly looks tight but it's hard to get a sense of scale from the pic.

The engineers will be winged down by 117 and it will return to Castletownbere

Latest from ICG's facebook:

Rescue 117 from Waterford will take two Engineers out to the rig and will be winched on to the platform and return to standby on Castletownbere helipad. If Engineers give the OK R115 will complete the mission. Otherwise R117 will take the mission and complete later tonight when the cruise liner gets in range. Best of luck to both crews.

Franticfrank

800 miles out? Very difficult and they should be extremely proud of themselves if they manage to pull it off. Best of luck to the crews.

Nforce

Do the ICG have any top cover now (ie. since the RAF retired their Nimrods)? What is the protocol should the ICG heli be forced to ditch at the limit of it's range?

Peregrine

Nforce wrote: »

Do the ICG have any top cover now (ie. since the RAF retired their Nimrods)?

The IAC CASA 235s provide top cover. I think the one that provided top cover today used the call sign SAR 1046.

P.S. Finally someone mentions the Nimrods around here I was starting to think I should have picked a different username

b757

Nforce wrote: »

Do the ICG have any top cover now (ie. since the RAF retired their Nimrods)? What is the protocol should the ICG heli be forced to ditch at the limit of it's range?

The Irish Aer Corps casa does top cover when needed.

flazio

I presume then that the rig is within range for Rescue 117 to fly out and back on the one tank of fuel?

L1011

What does top cover mean? Google only finds it on Irish sites mostly

urajoke

It means providing relays for comms and most importantly acting as SAR for the heli in case of ditching they can drop life rafts etc and then stay on scene watching over the downed crew.

n0brain3r

Just wondering who picks up the tab for all this? It's starting to sound very expensive!

Storm 10

n0brain3r wrote: »

Just wondering who picks up the tab for all this? It's starting to sound very expensive!

The State picks up the tap as does every other Country involved in rescues, when did you hear of someone having to pay to be rescued, thats what they are there for, would you worry about the expense if it was you they were going for.

n0brain3r

Storm 10 wrote: »

The State picks up the tap as does every other Country involved in rescues, when did you hear of someone having to pay to be rescued, thats what they are there for, would you worry about the expense if it was you they were going for.

Who's worried? I'm not saying we shouldn't do it but is there no come back though with the cruise line or similar? I don't want to derail this thread but we can't provide proper ambulance cover in this country but can send 3 aircraft to the aid of a sick lady on a cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic. Just saying.

Donny5

n0brain3r wrote: »

Who's worried? I'm not saying we shouldn't do it but is there no come back though with the cruise line or similar? I don't want to derail this thread but we can't provide proper ambulance cover in this country but can send 3 aircraft to the aid of a sick lady on a cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic. Just saying.

No, by international convention, nations states do not seek to recover costs incurred in maritime search and rescue operations from either the assisted persons, or in the event of a request for assistance from another state, from another state.

n0brain3r

Donny5 wrote: »

No, by international convention, nations states do not seek to recover costs incurred in maritime search and rescue operations from either the assisted persons, or in the event of a request for assistance from another state, from another state.

Thanks for that can anyone put a ball park figure on what this exercise would have cost? Before anyone takes me up wrong again I'm not saying we shouldn't be doing this I'd just like to know what it's costing the state/tax payer.

Also given that we're the most westerly point in Europe and strategically positioned to provide these sort or services to the Atlantic is there no direct contribution at a European level?

andy_g

pan pan from the ship now stood down and 115 still on the pad with engineer, rescue 117 returning to castletownber for fuel then RTb to waterford.

knucklehead6

andy_g wrote: »

pan pan from the ship now stood down and 115 still on the pad with engineer, rescue 117 returning to castletownber for fuel then RTb to waterford.

Hopefully the pan pan stand down means the patient is recovering, rather than a fatality.

n0brain3r

knucklehead6 wrote: »

Hopefully the pan pan stand down means the patient is recovering, rather than a fatality.

I'm on the phone now so can't link but I read on the Coast Guard FB page earlier that the patient wad stabilized and would be transferred to the cork pilot in the morning no medivac required

Skuxx

Decision was made that the patient would be better off to stay onboard the ship while she heads for cork, ETA 08.00 tomorrow! Fair play to all crews involved!! I know I fell much safer out on the water when I know they are there!!

Quaderno

Rescue 115 is now on the way back to Shannon.

Del2005

n0brain3r wrote: »

Thanks for that can anyone put a ball park figure on what this exercise would have cost? Before anyone takes me up wrong again I'm not saying we shouldn't be doing this I'd just like to know what it's costing the state/tax payer.

Also given that we're the most westerly point in Europe and strategically positioned to provide these sort or services to the Atlantic is there no direct contribution at a European level?

I remember the Aussies where going mad about this a few years ago. As they had to do a lot of rescues for a couple of big events that went wrong. Don't think they got anywhere and they AFAIR they even tried to go after the organisers.

We are on the extreme West of Europe and have had only a few big rescues that I know of. The countries on the South and East of Europe have a flood of refugees landing on their territory and we don't provide help to them. Some of them are doing major rescues every day with much more than a couple of choppers and a plane involved.

Peregrine

ICG has posted a few pictures on facebook:

S-92 on the helipad at the rig


S-61 preparing to winch an engineer down

seven_eleven

Love the first picture. You can tell they're roasting with the heat.

kub

Excellent shots, just wondering the woman in the top picture looks familiar, is she the pilot that was on the Tv series? I thought though she was based in Waterford.

donvito99

kub wrote: »

Excellent shots, just wondering the woman in the top picture looks familiar, is she the pilot that was on the Tv series? I thought though she was based in Waterford.

Dara something-or-other is her name.

Nforce

donvito99 wrote: »

Dara something-or-other is her name.

Dara Fitzpatrick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btjZ8MhmhuU

urajoke

Probably in Shannon converting to the s92 as Waterford is next up and she is waterfords chief pilot.