Malin Head Marine
Rescue Centre co-ordinated its 344th mission this
year when a fisherman was injured yesterday off the
west coast.
The man who was on board a Spanish trawler, was
airlifted to Galway University Hospital by coast
guard helicopter after a fishhook lodged in one of
his eyes.
The rescue operation, undertaken in high winds and
rough seas 80 miles off the west coast, was
co-ordinated by staff at Malin Head and comes as
staff there fight for their own survival against
Government downgrading plans.
"Our colleagues on the coastguard helicopter did a
great job in extreme weather conditions, in
northwesterly gale force 8 to severe gale force 9
winds with a big swell. This makes the lifting
operation quite dangerous," said a spokesperson.
The Government plans to restructure marine rescue
services nationally and downgrade the Malin Head
station with the loss of up to 18 jobs.
The centre at Ireland's most northerly point has
been operating for more than 100 years and is the
oldest radio station in Europe.
Staff thought they were in line for an upgrade
shortly with an additional ten workers to be
recruited. Instead, they've been informed their
centre is to be phased out as a marine rescue
centre, to be retained as a coast guard operation
only. The workers believe that, at most, only two
staff will be retained under such measures. |
