Creyv^board^boat face danger and tragedy inside cave on Atlantic coastThe crew of the Arun stationed at Ballyglass on the exposed north west coast of Ireland faced unusual dangers last October when the lifeboat and her Y-Boat were involved in the rescue of divers who had been trapped inside a cave.

Although three people were saved, one of the casualties and a civilian diver trying to rescue them, lost their lives in the attempt.The lifeboat was at sea for no less than 21 hours while ten different agencies battled to save the trapped casualties on one of the most remote and inaccessible parts of the Irish coast.

The Institution's Bronze Medal was awarded to Ciaran Doyle, a diver from the Garda Siochana and two Thanks on Vellum to civilian divers -one of whom lost his life in the rescue attempts.

Assistant Mechanic John Gaughan and crew member Cathal Reilly spent seven-and-a-half hours inside the cave, constantly at risk from breaking seas, and their seamanship and determination won them framed letters of appreciation from the RNLI's Chairman.

Overdue It was on 25 October 1997 that the Ballyglass Arun, Mabel Williams, was launched just after 1800 to search for a curragh - a traditional 16ft boat built of tarred cloth over a light wooden frame - which had been reported overdue at dusk.

Conditions were quite good as she searched eastward along the north Mayo coast, although a 4ft swell was running under the light easterly wind, without sighting the casualty.

An hour and a half after putting to sea she was hailed by the fishing vessel Sinead, whosecrew had heard voices from inside a cave some 18 miles from Ballyglass.

It took the Arun only about ten minutes to reach the cave where she stood by outside, while her 11 ft rigid inflatable Y-boat was launched and taken inside the cave by John Gaughan and Cathal Reilly.

Inside, the Y-boat was turned head-to-sea and manoeuvred gently astern until, about 650ft into the cave, the crew heard voices and spotted a number of casualties in the light of their torches sitting on a ledge about 20ft above sea level and another 300ft away, right at the back of the cave.

Difficulties Although conditions outside were quite good, the shape of the cave was creating enormous difficulties inside. It tapered inwards and shallowed for the first 650ft or so and then opened out for the final 300ft towards the casualties' ledge. This meant that the 4ft swell was being funnelled in until it broke - the crest reaching right to the roof of the cave - with the white water then running in towards the ledge where it lapped at the feet of the survivors.

The Y-Boat could not possibly reach the men, so the crew reassured them as best they could and returned to the Arun to report on the situation and conditions. It was now 2025.

Divers would obviously be needed to reach the casualties, so the Guarda first contacted the local GrainneUaile Sub-aqua club and four of their amateur members were brought to the scene by fishing boat and transferred to an IMES (the Irish equivalent of the UK's Coastguard) rescue boat.The plan was for two divers to swim to the back of the cave with a long line attached to the Arun's inflated liferaft. Once there they intended to haul in the liferaft, load it with the survivors and then for everyone to be pulled back out through the breakers to safety. But as divers Michael Heffernan and Joseph Barrett went in through the breakers they gave the recall signal on their line - and only Joseph was there when it was hauled back in. At this stage the rest of the rescue team thought they could see Michael Heffernan's torch at the back of the cave, although it was later learned that he had lost his life.

Joseph had been badly shaken by his experience and was taken outside to the lifeboat, where it was decided to call on the Garda's professional diving unit based in Dublin, Breakers They were called at 0030, and although they were airlifted to the scene it was 0400 before they were dropped at a nearby pier by helicopter and transferred by Sinead.

In the meantime the Y-Boat, still with crew members Gaughan and Reilly aboard, remained inside the cave, riding each of the breakers as it swept through - by the end of the service they had spent some seven and a half hours inside.

Mabel Williamsand the fishing vessels Sinead, Blath Ban and Pamela Ann spent the waiting time just six feet off the cliffs trying as best they could to illuminate the cave with spotlights.

When the Garda divers arrived they reconnoitred the cave as far as the breakers, before making a decision to wait until daylight when they would attempt to bring the casualties out from the cave.

The plan was to float a breeches buoy from the IMES rescue boat to the back of the cave - but the scheme went badly awry when the boat, manned by Sean McHale and Martin Kavanagh, and Garda divers David Mulhall, Ciaran Doyle and Sean O'Connel - was caught in the break The boat was hurled the 300ft to the back of the cave, landing upside down on the ledge 20ft above sea level. Fortunately the crew and divers were unhurt and, although the engine was wrecked, the portable VHP radio and night vision equipment they were carrying was not damaged.

With communications established, the rescue team learned that one of the casualties and diver Michael Heffernan were dead. There were now eight people trapped at the back of the cave, there was no line to the cave mouth, the IMES rescue boat was engineless inside the cave, the breeches buoy equipment had been lost and outside the lifeboat's Y-Boat was out of action after being punctured earlier.

Swim Inside the cave, Ciaran Doyle decided that there was only one way to get everyone out, and that involved a surface swim with a line the entire length of the cave, through the breakers and outside to the waiting vessels.

To shorten his swim as much as possible Blath San was manoeuvred into the mouth of the cave, lashed stern to stern with Sinead and the lifeboat holding Sinead's bow steady.

Ciaran Doyle began his extremely hazardous swim, carrying 1,000ft of line and taking some 25 minutes before he finally emerged from the darkness.

The next stage was for Blath Santo begin taking the strain on the line which had been attached to the IMES boat. Keeping inclose touch by radio with those inside the cave, the boat was hauled cautiously down from the ledge into the water and then, with the casualties and rescue team aboard, eventually pulled out through the breakers to safety.

Having been in the cave for some 17 hours the casualties were suffering from hypothermia and were landed at Balderig Pier as quickly as possible to be transferred to an ambulance. They have since made a full recovery.

The lifeboat returned to help recover the two bodies before returning to her station after a 21 hour service.

The Lif«bo«t Arun class 52-45 Mabel Williams The cr«w Chairman $ Letter of Appreciation Asst Mechanic John Gaughan Crew member Cathal Reilty Director's Letter of Appreciation Dept 2nd coxswain Gerard Reilly Mechanic Joseph Murray Crew members John Hesion Mairlin Gibbons Allen Murray.