A man was airlifted to hospital on Saturday night after he suffered a heart attack on board a boat on the River Shannon in Co Offaly.
The alarm was raised at around 8.00pm when the Irish Coast Guard was alerted to a man in cardiac arrest on board the vessel near Banagher.
The Killaloe unit of the Irish Coast Guard was alerted and made a dash the entire length of Lough Derg to Portumna where it joined the River Shannon to reach the scene. The Shannon based search and rescue helicopter, Rescue 115, was also requested to assist.
Ambulance paramedics and gardaí also went to the scene where the boat had moored at Banagher.
The casualty was removed from the vessel, assessed and stabilised at the scene before being handed over the helicopter crew and flown to Galway University Hospital.
While returning to their base at Killaloe the volunteer Coast Guard unit was directed to a second emergency call.
The Irish Coast Guard marine rescue coordination centre on Valentia island in Kerry received a report of a 40-foot cruise boat with five people on board having run aground south of the Silly Island on Lough Derg.
The rescue boat raced to the scene where conditions were said to be bad with darkness setting in quickly. Shore teams were also sent to the area by road.
The casualty boat was soon located and a Coast Guard volunteer transfer to the vessel to ensure all passengers were safe and will.
The craft was also checked to ensure it hadn’t been holed or was taking on water. When the vessel was declared undamaged it was towed to safer water by the rescue boat.
With a Coast Guard volunteer still on board the casualty vessel made it’s way, accompanied by the rescue boat, to Ballina Quay where it was safely tied up.