Illegal parking hindering rescue efforts on Lough Derg

KILLALOE Coast Guard has appealed to members of the public not to block the narrow access road to Pier Head by parking in places where it is impossible for volunteers to pass with their vehicles.

Over the past week on a number of occasions access to the Coast Guard station at Pier Head Killaloe has been blocked by cars leaving this cul-de-sac completely inaccessible for its crews responding to emergency calls.

No parking signs, which were only erected a few months ago were also illegally removed from the walls on this cul-de-sac route.

A Killaloe Coast Guard spokesman appealed to all people using the fantastic facilities at Pier Head to keep the access to the Coast Guard station clear and keep in mind volunteers need to respond to some incidents by towing a rescue boat.

The spokesman acknowledged that Killaloe Gardai erected Garda no parking bollards at the start of the laneway, where it is extremely narrow only allowing room for one vehicle.

He said there have been cases where people park on this laneway, go for a walk and can’t be found when volunteers need them to move their vehicles.

He stressed lives are being put at risk any time volunteers can’t get move their vehicles and equipment from the station.

Killaloe Coast Guard unit were tasked to at 5.30pm on Thursday evening to assist a 40 ft cruiser aground on Lough Derg at the entrance to the Scariff River.

The vessel with three persons on board was hard aground and had experienced engine difficulty as a result of the incident.

A crew member was transferred to the casualty vessel and carried out an assessment to ensure it was not damaged.

The vessel was taken on tow out to deep water and then escorted into Mountshannon Harbour where a shore team assisted with the safe mooring of the vessel.

At 19:20hrs the unit was stood down, but couldn’t get back to its base as the laneway was blocked with parked cars.

Meanwhile Killaloe Coast Guard unit rescued it first swimmer who got into difficulty at Two Mile Gate on the Clare shore of Lough Derg last week.

It has been a very busy few weeks for the Coast Guard Unit who completed their 34th call out this year when volunteers were tasked on Saturday at 7.35pm by a member of the public who called 999.

Even though some members of the Killaloe CG were coming from work and in the midst of traffic congestion, their boat was launched within 15 minutes.

Members of An Garda Síochána from the Killaloe station were first on scene and reported that the man was struggling to stay afloat.

Rescue 115 arrived on scene and directed the Killaloe Coast Guard rib to the location of the casualty between Two Mile Gate and UL Activity centre.

The male swimmer, who about 200 metres out from shore on the UL Activity centre side of the pier, was holding on to a surfboard after a kayaker went out to assist him.

A shore team from the Killaloe Coast Guard were also dispatched by road to the pier at Two Mile Gate where they were joined by paramedics from the National Ambulance service to assist the casualty.

The person was taken on board the rescue boat and transported to the pier at Two Mile Gate.

A shore team from Killaloe Coast Guard, An Garda Síochána and the National Ambulance service were at Two Mile Gate Pier to assist the casualty.
R115 was stood down when the causality was safely ashore.

The person did not require medical assistance and all units were stood down and returned to base.

A spokesman for Killaloe Coast Guard urged all swimmers who are bathing at Two Mile Gate to swim when there is a lifeguard on duty and to stay within the marker buoys.

On August 5, Valentia Coast Guard received an emergency call for a person in the water calling for help on the O’Brien’ s Bridge side of Parteen Weir.

The Killaloe Coast Guard unit responded and launched their D Class rescue boat from the slipway at O’Brien’ s Bridge.

Also tasked to the incident were Castleconnell Gardaí, IRCG Rescue helicopter R115 from Shannon, Clare Fire and Rescue CE15 from the Killaloe station, Tipperary Fire and Rescue TN16 from the Newport station and National Ambulance service from the Scariff station.

The casualty, who was clinching to his kayak, was located by R115 and recovered from the water by the Rescue boat from Killaloe CG.

The causality was then transported back to the slipway in O’Brien’s Bridge where he was handed over to the National Ambulance service Paramedic’s for assessment.

Thankfully after an assessment the person did not need hospital treatment and all services were stood down.

If the Pier Head laneway was blocked by vehicles that were indiscriminately parked, volunteers would not have been able to transport their D Class rescue boat from the station to complete this important rescue.

In the last two weeks, all Coast Guard vehicles from the station have been used for different incidents.

Councillor Tony O’Brien said he understood this is a private laneway that is owned by the ESB. Criticising indiscriminate parking which has blocked Coast Guard vehicles leaving and entering the station, he told the Clare Champion representatives from a number of agencies including the council, ESB and Waterways Ireland need to discuss a number of issues including parking near Pier Head at a meeting.

Councillor O’Brien recently tabled a motion at a Killaloe Municipal District meeting calling on a number of agencies to work together to enhance the picturesque heritage town.

Inspector Michelle Moloney said local gardaí work in co-operation with Killaloe Coast Guard who provide a great service to the local community.

Stating parking on this private road isn’t really a matter for Killaloe Gardai, Inspector Moloney said gardai were happy to provide bollards on a temporary basis.

She suggested the provision of more no parking signs at the entrance to the laneway would be beneficial for day trippers who were not familiar with the area, and noted bollards that could be locked and removed might be worth considering, notwithstanding this would delay volunteers leaving and entering the Coast Guard station.

Condemning the removal of no parking signs, she said if this is reported to Killaloe Gardai, it would be investigated.