The Irish Coast Guard's 'Rescue 115' and 'Rescue 118' S-92 helicopters have completed missions that brought the annual total for the organisation to 1,000 in 2015. It is the first time since the SAR service was formed in 1991 that a thousand flights have been completed in a single year by the coast guard.

Many of the services were carried out in challenging weather conditions, at night and far out over the Atlantic. Shannon-based helicopter Rescue 115 assisted a young pregnant female from Inish Mór, part of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, in getting to Galway University Hospital and then remained at the hospital overnight due to fog. The Sligo-based heli-copter was tasked to assist a young boy with leg injuries who was inaccessible to the ambulance service due to flooding. Despite multiple attempts to land, air transportation was not possible in the foggy conditions and the boy was eventually transported by road.

The company's national manager Gerard O'Flynn says that the achievements of 2015 surpass those of the previous year, when 914 missions were completed. The west coast helicopters were particularly busy last year in assisting the national ambulance service in transporting critically ill or injured patients from rural areas to the major trauma centres at Cork and Galway University Hospitals. The Coast Guard expects this HEMS level to be maintained at between 10 and 15 per cent of all missions in 2016.

Says O'Flynn: “Our helicopter SAR crews are highly trained and dedicated to serving the people in their communities. Their profession-alism and dedication, as well as high aircraft availability, allow our crews to return people home safely from a great number of dangerous situations.”

The service is delivered from its four bases at Dublin, Shannon, Sligo and Waterford.

Director of the Irish Coast Guard Chris Reynolds also praises the crews: “I want to thank all the Coast Guard crews at Shannon, Dublin, Waterford and Sligo for their fantastic work throughout the year, moving people from places of danger to places of safety, day and night, winter and summer. In 2015 we achieved in excess of 96 per cent availability at 15 minutes' notice between 07:30 and 21:30 and 45 minutes' notice thereafter at all of our bases, which is an exceptional achievement.”

As well as offering long range and improved cruising speeds, the coast guard fleet of S-92s is equipped with enhanced mission equipment, including FLIR low-light cameras, 'night sun' searchlights, ambulance level paramedic care facilities and satellite communications systems.