9 bodies recovered and 35 rescued from Foyle River last year

by Gráinne Connolly

Foyle Search and Rescue has revealed it's volunteers recovered 9 bodies and rescued 35 people from the River Foyle last year, after responding to a total of 490 incidents. 

In it's review of 2018, the charity said it's shore teams carried out 156 Duty Nights, completing many interventions and carried out nine full scale searches along with Boat crews.

The Emergency Response Team (ERT) provided a 24 hour call out service. 

It was tasked by the PSNI and responded to incidents as required, rescuing 35 people from the River, along with the sad task of recovering nine bodies.

A spokesperson for the charity says "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost loved ones."

The Swiftwater Teams were involved in a Multi Agency response in rescuing a person trapped in a vehicle from the River Faughan in which our colleagues in the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service played a vital role along with Northern Ireland Ambulance Service.

Meanwhile, first aiders and volunteers trained in Pre Hospital Care administered treatment to those in need during 2018, saving lives in the process.

Foyle Search and Rescue also conducted exercises at City of Derry Airport and took part in the Disaster Management Exercise for Nurses held in Ulster University Magee.

The Education Team won an Irish Water Safety Award & spoke to in excess of 5,000 members of the Community delivering a standard Water Safety Message in conjunction with IWS & RNLI.

Groups addressed included-pre schools, Youth Groups, Colleges, businesses etc: Our Media Team assisted Students from Ulster University in Coleraine who updated and redesigned all our Media including introducing new material for pre and Primary Schools. 

The charity's spokesperson continued, "We enjoyed working closely with our colleagues from all the Emergency Services and very much appreciate the tremendous support shown to us during searches, in particular from Community Rescue Service (Strabane), PSNI Air Support Unit, Police Divers, Irish Coastguard and the Air Ambulance Northern Ireland, SARDA, etc. 

"We worked closely with CCTV City Centre Initiative & Safety Wardens in maintaining Lifebelts along the River and an Automated External Defibrillator. 

"Foyle Search & Rescue also assisted the Garda Siochona in searches where our specialist Drone Team were deployed and our Swiftwater Teams remained on immediate stand by during severe weather warnings.

"FSR appreciated the assistance given during operations from the National Ambulance Service and Donegal County Council Fire Service in the Lifford Strabane Area. 

"We trained and welcomed aboard New recruits now volunteers to boost our numbers during 2018. Our Fundraising volunteers also worked tirelessly behind the scenes.

"At the heart of 2018 was 70 unpaid volunteers who along with their families cannot be thanked enough.

"Last but not least to YOU our Community who have supported us for 25 + years, enabling us to respond on a daily basis wherever we are needed, 24/7, 365 and for all your kind comments during 2018, THANK YOU !"