Coast Guard helicopter launched

SEARCH and rescue operations in Dublin have received a boost thanks to the launch of a new helicopter.

Last week, Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar officially launched the Coast Guard’s new state-of-the-art S92 search and rescue helicopter for the Dublin region.

This is the fourth and final Sikorsky S92 helicopter to come into operation for the Coast Guard and means the entire fleet has now been upgraded. It replaces the Sikorsky S61 which was in use until recently at Coast Guard bases in Dublin, Shannon, Sligo and Waterford.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Varadkar said the new addition means the Irish Coast Guard now has one of the most modern and effective helicopter fleets in the world.

“The S92 is tailored specially for search and rescue operations,

? he said.

“It has an extended range of 270 nautical miles, is faster and safer, can carry more casualties, and can fly at higher altitude and in much worse weather.

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Last year was one of the busiest on record for the Coast Guard with 33 per cent more incidents than the previous year, partly due to the good weather. The helicopter fleet, along with Coast Guard volunteer crews saw a huge increase in workload with 2,627 incidents during 2013.

Minister Varadkar added:

“A well-equipped and well-resourced Coast Guard can represent the difference between life and death for anyone in trouble at sea or on land.

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Coast Guard Director Chris Reynolds said:

“This has been an exceptional year in terms of the number of incidents, but there has been significant progress in terms of modernising and further developing the Coast Guard.

“The new helicopter fleet will greatly enhance our capacity to provide a first-class response to all emergencies in the year ahead, whether off-shore and inland.

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