Busy weekend for Arranmore RNLI as crew answer two callouts and honour dedicated fundraisers
- Pat Nolan
- Jul 27
- 2 min read
Monday 27 July 2026
The volunteer crew of Arranmore RNLI continued a busy summer period after responding to two requests for assistance from Malin Head Coast Guard over the weekend.
The first call came in the early hours of Saturday morning (25 July) at 1.20am, when the all-weather lifeboat launched to assist with a medical evacuation. The casualty was transferred safely to a waiting ambulance at Burtonport for onward transport to Letterkenny University Hospital.
The second call followed at 1.30pm on Sunday (26 July), when Malin Head Coast Guard requested the lifeboat to launch to an angling boat experiencing engine difficulties less than a mile from Arranmore lifeboat station. There were ten people on board the vessel.
On arrival, the lifeboat crew found the vessel's engine had been restarted successfully. The lifeboat remained on scene before accompanying the boat to Burtonport, ensuring its safe return to harbour.
Speaking following the callout, Arranmore RNLI Coxswain Kieran O'Donnell said: "As we arrived on scene, we stood by and then accompanied the boat, which was now operational, to Burtonport to ensure its safe return. The skipper of the angling boat did the right thing to ensure the safety of passengers and crew by calling for assistance. As an emergency service we are on call 24/7 and are always happy to respond."
Meanwhile, following the station's weekly training exercise on Thursday evening (23 July), the lifeboat crew travelled to Burtonport to recognise the commitment of two long-serving members of the Burtonport RNLI Fundraising Committee.
Coxswain Kieran O'Donnell presented Mick Donaghy with an RNLI 30-year Long Service Medal and Triona Bonner with an RNLI 20-year Long Service Medal.
Congratulating the recipients, Kieran thanked both award winners and their fellow fundraising committee members for their dedication and continued support of the RNLI.
Arranmore RNLI's volunteer lifeboat crew remain on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing a vital search and rescue service along the northwest coast.
