A BRIEF HISTORY
The lifeboat, “Aghamore II“, is manned, managed and crewed by local volunteers. Derrynane Inshore Rescue Service is 25 years old. It was founded by Austin (Ossie) Wilson, (who owned the water sports centre) in 1990 after a father and son drowned on Easter Monday – a misty day with strong swells. Inspite of being warned they they set out from Ballinskelligs to Derrynane but never arrived. The wife became worried but hesitated to call out the lifeboat from Valentia. By the time she raised the alarm and they were found they were dead – though not very long. Finding a body is always a deeply shocking experience – especially when you know it could have been avoided.
So, Ossie Wilson and another member of the eventual rescue team – Michael Donnelly – realised that there had to be some local co-ordination in rescue services, where the alarm could be raised and a search and rescue quickly be organised. Even though Derrynane is close to the RNLI station at Valentia the Kenmare River is a huge area and with ever more increasing leisure traffic due to the economic up-swing, it was not enough. A smaller boat (cheaper to run and more maneuverable in coastal waters) was an advantage. Ossie and Michael equipped their cars with VHF radios. They were joined by other dedicated volunteers and they got a smallish boat and attended training courses. They nowadays meet regularly with the Coastguard and IWS (Irish Water Safety) and other rescue station personnel. There are also regular assessments of boat and training fitness of crew and they have become a “Declared Resource” to the Irish Coast Guard…
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