Busy day for emergency services: Callouts to Spike Island and off the Old Head of Kinsale

Today was a busy day for emergency services in Cork, with multiple callouts to a number of incidents around the county.

Crosshaven RNLI was called to attend a medical emergency on Spike Island in the early afternoon, when a visitor became seriously unwell at the tourist attraction.

The team of four, including Lead Casualty Care Aoife Dinan, were the first responders at the scene, where CPR was being performed on the man, who is believed to be aged approximately 50.

The RNLI team took over emergency procedures before passing the man to the care of the National Ambulance Service as soon as it arrived.

The Valentia-based Coast Guard Rescue Co-ordination Centre was involved in co-ordinating the operation, having co-ordinated another rescue earlier in the day.

A diver was brought to hospital after suffering decompression sickness at the wreck of the Lusitania.

A Coast Guard helicopter airlifted the diver from approximately 12 miles off the Old Head of Kinsale to Galway University Hospital.

The diver is understood to have been one of a group diving at the wreck of the ship.

The diver received initial medical attention at Cork University Hospital before being transferred to the Galway-based recompression facility.

On-scene support was also provided by the naval ship LÉ George Bernard Shaw, which initially recovered the diver from the sea, and by Courtmacsherry Lifeboat.

Following that rescue, the Courtmacsherry Lifeboat also went to help a 30ft yacht in difficulty nearby and it was towed to the safety of Courtmacsherry pier.