Kinsale crewmembers receive RNLI award for bravery during cliff fall

      Three RNLI volunteer crewmembers from Kinsale lifeboat station are to receive bravery awards from the charity for their actions during a service when a young woman fell down a cliff at the Old Head of Kinsale on 5 September 2005. Crewmember Nicky Searls (27) is to receive the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum for his bravery and compassion in scaling the cliff in darkness to reach the woman and provide assistance, while Helmsman Mark Lewis (31) and Crewmember Donal Hayes (43) will receive Vellum Service Certificates for their skill in handling the lifeboat.

      On the 5 September 2005 the RNLI Kinsale lifeboat launched to assist the Old Head Coast Guard team in a search for a woman thought to have fallen on the cliffs. Kinsale’s Atlantic 75 class lifeboat RNLB Miss Sally Anne (Baggy) launched in thick fog and heavy darkness. Helmsman Mark Lewis brought the boat to the base of the cliff despite a moderate ground swell being present and carefully manoeuvred between the submerged rocks to get within 10 metres of the cliff. Upon shining the searchlight they saw a woman on a rocky ledge who had fallen down the cliff face.

      Volunteer crewmember Nicky Searls made the brave decision to climb up the cliff to reach the casualty. On reaching the ledge he assessed the woman’s condition and ascertained that she was seriously injured from the fall. He then took off his drysuit and removed his thermal undersuit to place over the casualty for warmth and comforted her.

While awaiting the arrival the of the Irish Coast Guard rescue helicopter from Waterford, the crewmember realised that the woman had stopped breathing and started CPR. The casualty was then winched from the ledge to the cliff top by the helicopter crew and taken to Cork hospital. Tragically, she died from her injuries. Nicky was then assisted to the safety of the cliff top by the Old Head cliff rescue team.

Crewmember Nicky Searls, said, “I am very grateful that myself and my two fellow crewmembers have received this recognition for our actions in assisting the young woman who had fallen on the cliffs that night and I wish to pay my respects to her family. Every call for assistance is different but we carry out our duty to the very best of our ability every time. Tragically a young woman lost her life that night.”

Colin Williams, RNLI Divisional Inspector added, “ This was a very heroic action for crewmember Nicky Searls who scaled the cliff in darkness in order to reach the woman. His fellow crewmembers aboard the lifeboat contributed greatly to the incident by their skill in getting the lifeboat into position and their support for Nicky during the climb and assistance to the casualty.

It is a great honour for Kinsale RNLI to receive this recognition. Awards for gallantry are given sparingly and after great consideration and investigation. Of the 233 RNLI lifeboat stations in Ireland and the UK with over 8,000 launches annually, only 8 vellum awards are issued on average each year. This year two Irish stations have received that honour, Kinsale and Crosshaven.”