Emergency Situation

[EagleEye]

Ok here is possible scenario:


LE Aisling is 140 nautical miles off Loop Head in a force 8 storm trying to locate a spanish trawler in distress. While attempting to secure one of the rigid raiders to the vessel three of the crew are seriously injured. Two with head injuries and one with internal injuries and leg fracture. Ok a nightmare situation. Life threatening injuries.

Problem: the Shannon based Coastguard SAR bird is currently tasked on a SAR mission off the Mayo Coast. Air Corp are contacted and there is nothing available for that range, conditions or able to carry the three injured crew. A bit like the Russains having a submarine fleet but no way of rescuing them in an emergency.

Ok, so the LE Aisling heads at full speed for the Clare coast, the Dublin based SAR is Scrambled, it will have to wait at Shannon and refuel and wait for the LE Aisling to come within range. At the same time a Nimrod is Scrambled from Scotland.

Rescue: the Dublin Based SAR reaches the LE Aisling 3 hours after the incident and winches two crew members onboard. The one with internal injuries has died. With the Nimrod providing top cover for the SAR bird it heads for Galway Regional which has a trauma team on standby. Both crew members are tranfered to the A&E one pronounced dead on arrival, the third dies 1 week later.

Outcome: The nation is once again stunned by the loss of members of the DF. Politicians call for answers. An external report, a year later cites a total lack of SAR coverage and criticizes the time involved in getting to the incident. The report recommends a review of the SAR coverage provided by the DF for their own personnel.


Ok all fiction but what do you think..........

[Dan.]

Then the government holds a competition for Medium lift helicopters which drags on for 3 years and when the contract is finally signed it is cancelled due to penny pinching and exactly the same situation is liable to occur again.

[Silver]

Perfectly plausible situation.

Unfortunetly it will take several such incidents before the govt cops on and provides a proper SAR service.

As usual the current coverage is the "bare minimum" required

[Goldie fish]

Here is another scenario...
Air Corps SAR Heli tasked to assist Local lifeboats in locating a small fishing boat which has become disorientated in fog. Fishing boat has no VHF so DF cannot be used...a child on board is suffering from seasickness..Local lifeboats are able to adequately carry out the search,but heli is tasked just in case,and because it is their first day on station..Crew have been awake 18 hours..
Heli departs from a second rate airfield which does not have IFR with a reduced fuel load due to the SAR equipment being carried. Fog worsening...
Fishing boat is located after some time by local inshore lifeboat,and Heli is stood down after assisting Lifeboat with a position fix. Fog worsening..
Airfield heli is returning to is now completely fogbound...because of limited range of Heli due to reduced Fuel load..thee are no workable alternates..
Heli attempts to return to Airfield, on manual control,even though it is equipped with autopilot which will place it directly over airfield. This equipment is not used as local authorities have not approved it..
During a further attempt at approach,heli collides with sand dunes..Killing all aboard...
Civilian operated SAR heli from other side of the country travels to search for survivors..
Result..4 crewmen dead because
(a) They were tasked for an operation they were not needed for,
(b) The aircraft was not suited for the job,
(c) The avionics were obsolete,
(d) They wanted to prove themselves as the Air Corps were in danger of losing SAR tasking to civilian contractors,
(e) The fishing Boat put to sea totally unprepared for weather changes..

Did I mention that this already happened?

Even when People die the government dont care.. How many fishermen had to die of relatively simple injuries because the nearest capable SAR heli was based in a different country?

[Turkey]

Point well made Goldie, pity the 'government' dont give a toss, isen't it.

[Thorpe]

Another Spanish Vessel is in difficult of the Coast at the moment and the Shannnon lads tryed but ,,,,,
Rescue Attempt

[Goldie fish]

Worth pointing out that the average tow line is about 3 to 4 inches thick...when they snap...its messy.
I wonder where the Ocean going tug came from though..
Lets hope all turns out well.

[Come-quickly]

Originally posted by Turkey
Point well made Goldie, pity the 'government' dont give a toss, isen't it.

No government gives a toss, the real problem is that the people don't give a toss

[Goldie fish]

Its the same with everything really. SAR is only the immediate priority of those in the Fishing industry,or those whose life is at sea,and perhaps the occupants of the Islands. These make up a small minority,with verry little in the way of lobbying power...Most of them are too busy trying to survive to complain about anything.
The only scenario that would see the need for proper assets become headline news is if one of the island ferries sank. It took 30 years to get SAR helis away from the east coast,which already has an SAR overlap,but those at sea still continue to die,even in Dublin Bay!

The average Joe taxpayer considers that the only people who benifit from SAR are millionaire yachtsmen who panic in anything greater than a force5. The Programme seascapes,and Out of the blue do something towards dispelling this myth,but the attitudes of many Yacht clubs around the country cannot help.
You all see how easy it is for the status of the Government jet to become frontpage news after 2 minor faults,however when a Gazelle falls out of the sky and is totalled,with no loss of life thank god..it gets in there between the classified ads,and cinema listings.
Its a terrible thing to say but Piper Alpha was the best thing that ever happened to UK SAR. In spite of the disaster,they demonstrated their professionalism and courage to the world. The North sea is currently the safest place in the world to get into difficulties,with the amount of SAR assets that cover it ,between the various services.
Medium lift helis were first mentioned after the Air India crash,when British,US and canadian helis searched the Irish AO for wreckage,as we had nothing that could cover that far out(130 miles off the coast). It was in the news for a while as the RAF used Cork airport as a Base of operations..then once the last body was recovered...back to the old ways..
It is a miracle that we currently have the Coastguard helis..but there is no overlap,as mentioned in the original scenario. If the heli is busy,and another incident occurs...

But nobody cares..except those at sea with no voice,and the few here who again and again put forward this case.

[EagleEye]

But lets just say that in the morning the Government decided to put out a tender worth +€ 200m for 10-14 SAR, Troop transport helicopters. Ok, a dream day for everyone concerned.

I firmly believe that the Irish voter would not have any problems with the investment in cash in this area. Is this just my idea of reaction ?

As long as the contract was fair and the best one got the contract of course..