Search and Rescue helicopter

soundbyte

Xiney wrote: »

It's not something you'd want to be in for a long time but it's not the south pole in terms of killing you in a matter of a few minutes either.

Actually, your entire system shuts down in a matter of minutes. Restricted breathing plus muscles that won't work plus the weight of wet clothes is very bad news. Hope I'm wrong in this instance.

plonk

Are we even sure someone is in the river?

The Cool

Cicero wrote: »

Spent 1/2 hour on river this evening...watching guards, fire brigrdade, sea rescure & ambulance search the river...God be witih anyone there in trouble this evening...
......an hour later....helicopter over-head......not a pleasant sound at all....

Jesus, if they're searching that long whoever it is couldn't be alive. Total speculation here though, wee prayer that whomever it is ends up alright.

Shlippery

I live just behind jurys car park..Helicopter just knocked off the search light and flew away fifteen minutes ago, the guards have parked up outside mill street, and are searching the banks on the far side of the river (opposite born) with torches.

harryd2

Just announced on Galway bay FM news. Woman gone missing near the river. Shannon coast guard is assistning

Cicero

plonk wrote: »

Are we even sure someone is in the river?

all I know is that there is a lot of activity tonight on the Cladagh....divers, boat, guards, life-guard. ambulance and fire brigade and eventually helicopter..after that...I can't say any more...

JohnCleary

We're normally drafted in for this kind of rescue, either in the water or on land. I'm 'offline' this week because of study/exams. To summarise, the water is COLD at the moment.

The fresh water is about 3.5 degrees, salt water is warmer (not sure exact temp now). It takes very little time for your body to enter early stages of hypothermia. To give an example of just how cold the river is at the moment, there are bits of ice vfloating around the place

Remember your body goes into Cardiac Arrest at 30 celcius, that's just 7 degrees lower than normal body temp.

Couple that with the fact that there's 12+ gates open at the wier. Plus it's night-time. If you're on the 'lower' river right now, god help you.

Hope it doesn't involve another body recovery, no one needs that.

whatsyourquota

Just back from the river, they were searching all along the bank then all of a sudden the helicopter flew away and everybody else went too. Not sure what happened. Can hear sirens around but the helicopter is nowhere in sight.

Xiney

kippy wrote: »

To be fair, it is more the current and chances of drowning that are the things that would kill you first.

This.

I grew up in Canada - people fall through the ice into lakes and rivers regularly. That water is probably colder & you've still got at least 15 minutes. In water like the corrib, my best guess (ignoring the current) would be half an hour.

It's when you get to the super cooled waters near the poles and in the North Atlantic etc (that would be frozen except for the major currents keeping that from happening) that you enter the realm of your 4 to 5 minute times.

the keen edge

Water temperature doesn't really come in to the equation.

Survival at night, in an emergency situation this time of year in the torrent that is the Lower Corrib would be a miracle.

Hopefully nobody has actually gone in.

WallyGUFC

No matter what the temperature, that water in the Corrib can move damn fast at times. 30 mins in there and you're way downstream. It's also freezing, maybe not Arctic but it really is very cold.

IMO nobody can last in the water that long without fatal consequences.

flynnlives

Just back from up around the salmon weir and then down nimmos.

Looks like the search has been called off or scaled back.

its freezing out there!

the keen edge

Xiney wrote: »

This.

I grew up in Canada - people fall through the ice into lakes and rivers regularly. That water is probably colder & you've still got at least 15 minutes. In water like the corrib, my best guess (ignoring the current) would be half an hour.

It's when you get to the super cooled waters near the poles and in the North Atlantic etc (that would be frozen except for the major currents keeping that from happening) that you enter the realm of your 4 to 5 minute times.

+1

Many people swim year round in Salthill.
The daily water temperature at Salthill is currently either side of 10 degrees Celsius.

Mrs OBumble

Fingers crossed, prayers and all .. but in this weather I have a nasty feeling.

Mr Just thinks he saw the garda armed support unit vehicle down there too. And he took his camera out: fingers were too cold to get good photos of the searchers at work, but you get the drift:

Cicero

the keen edge wrote: »

Water temperature doesn't really come in to the equation.

Survival at night, in an emergency situation this time of year in the torrent that is the Lower Corrib would be a miracle.

Hopefully nobody has actually gone in.

I hope so too...was there this evening...

Are you guys really debating about temperature of water? There is a woman missing FFS.

My brother is a trained scuba diver and has been called out on one of these before- I really hope he isn't there now.

bill murray

Did realise it was a spectator sport.

Anyway women was heard screaming for help from the water earlier.

Xiney

My point is, it's not the temperature of the water that is the real danger - that river is deadly dangerous at all temperatures, hence at all times of the year.

People need to be careful around it, respect the water. It's much more than a picturesque part of our little town.

Steyr

Rescue115 EI-GCE has since returned back to Shannon Airport, she was searching using the searchlight and the Thermal Imaging/Heat equipment.

JohnCleary

the keen edge wrote: »

+1

Many people swim year round in Salthill.
The daily water temperature at Salthill is currently either side of 10 degrees Celsius.

I don't stay long, it gets quite unbearable after a while.

The reason for the post is... there is a BIG difference between the temprature on the river Corrib (fresh water) and Salthill (salt water). Not sure what the temp is in salt water at the moment, but it's around 7-8 degrees. At the moment the fresh water at the Salmon Weir is 3.5 degrees. Thats up to a 4.5 degree difference, which is massive

extraice

due to fog , Rescue helicopter left . and there doing most the looking from bridge mills down to the park lots off Rescue people with big lights ,jeeps and so on and RNLI lifeboat launched it come back from motton island now

JohnCleary

Deleted User wrote: »

Are you guys really debating about temperature of water? There is a woman missing FFS.

My brother is a trained scuba diver and has been called out on one of these before- I really hope he isn't there now.

The scuba divers won't be in the water at night unless something is confirmed and needs to be recovered. It's different when you're searching for something during the day in still water, its a completely different story at night with a raging current

Brentmeister

Deleted User wrote: »

Are you guys really debating about temperature of water? There is a woman missing FFS.

My brother is a trained scuba diver and has been called out on one of these before- I really hope he isn't there now.

i second this, now is a completely inappropriate time to engage in a pedantic debate on how quickly somebody might perish. friends and family of the missing person do not need now, or in the future, to read these comments.

Is it a good sign or a bad sign that the helicopter is gone? The Galway Advertiser Facebook page was reporting two helicopters.

the keen edge

Deleted User wrote: »

Are you guys really debating about temperature of water? There is a woman missing FFS.
.

What is wrong with debating about the water temperature?
It's clearly related to the subject. I've expressed my hope that nobody is a casualty of the river tonight.

This is a forum after all, and as far as I know discussing the water temperature is not belittling the situation or against the charter.

the keen edge

JohnCleary wrote: »

I don't stay long, it gets quite unbearable after a while.

The reason for the post is... there is a BIG difference between the temprature on the river Corrib (fresh water) and Salthill (salt water). Not sure what the temp is in salt water at the moment, but it's around 7-8 degrees. At the moment the fresh water at the Salmon Weir is 3.5 degrees. Thats up to a 4.5 degree difference, which is massive

Just to say the water tempreature is around 10 degree's Celsius in Salthill these days, as I said many people, not just yourself swim there daily.;)

But yes fresh water is much colder, and at night it doesn't bare thinking about.
Fingers crossed for whoever has gone in.

Steyr

extraice wrote: »

due to fog , Rescue helicopter left .

No thats incorrect Rescue115 has Thermal Imaging and Special Imaging equipment that can see thru fog/smoke. She was stood down by the Irish Coast guard.

And is now back on the Ramp at Shannon where she is based.

Aiel

Thermal imaging from the chopper wont work now.The woman has been in the water too long and has lost alot of body heat so wont be picked up by the choppers imaging camera.At this point they should be searching around Nimmo's pier for a body i'd say.

Steyr

Deleted User wrote: »

Is it a good sign or a bad sign that the helicopter is gone?

Stood down and recovered to Shannon Danny.

Deleted User wrote: »

The Galway Advertiser Facebook page was reporting two helicopters.

They are wrong there was one Sikorsky S61N it was Rescue 115 EI-GCE based at Shannon, single Helicopter.

_Whimsical_

God that's awful, I feel chilled reading this. I heard the helicopter all evening too but for some reason I didn't dream it was for anything so awful. God help whoever it was & all belonging to them .