Tag Archives: Joe Doolan

  A 28-year-old man has died in hospital after he was rescued from the River Shannon at Castleconnell, Co Limerick yesterday. Three other men, aged in their 20s and 30s, are being treated for hypothermia at University Hospital Limerick. The man was submerged in water for more than two hours after a fifteen foot aluminium safety boat capsized, plunging him and the three others into the water at “World’s End”, Castleconnell. Four units of Limerick Fire and Rescue assisted in the multi-agency rescue operation, along with the Killaloe Coastguard, Limerick Marine Search and Rescue, the Ambulance Service, Gardaí and the Shannon-based rescue helicopter. When responding emergency crews arrived they found the boat wrapped around a tree in the middle of the raging swell. Some of the men were clinging to the boat while others were stuck on debris along the tree line. Members from the Limerick Fire and Rescue Service entered the river from the shoreline while Killaloe Coast Guard …

THE Killaloe Coast Guard Unit has launched an appeal for new volunteers to fill some vacancies in its unit. With 16 male and three female members in the current search and rescue service, the unit is seeking to recruit at least three new members, as a few other volunteers may leave over the coming months, due to work commitments. Led by officer in charge (OIC), Joe Doolan, the unit is Government-funded and doesn’t have to fundraise, unlike its predecessor, the Killaloe Ballina Search and Rescue Service. Acknowledging that training and call-outs were “time-consuming”, deputy OIC, Damien Madden insists it is also “very rewarding” for members who are involved in rescuing people from the lake or aftermishaps on land. “It is a great service for the community. Anyone who is using Lough Derg and gets into trouble, knows we are there at the end of a call by contacting 999 or 112. Once we are called out, we are normally in …