New S92 Search and rescue Helicopter Named at Waterford Airport

March 2014

The Irish Coast Guard Sikorsky S92 Search and Rescue helicopter based at Waterford Airport has been officially named ‘Cara na Mara’.

The new helicopter which is currently serving the South and South-eastern region was unveiled at the Waterford Airport based earlier this year along with a competition for the public to name the new Helicopter via the Waterford Airport Facebook page and via Beat 102 103. Eilish Meade from Passage East was the lucky winner who named the new helicopter ‘Cara na Mara’. James Doherty from Cheekpoint, Clara Hogan from Brownstown and Craig Hartnett from Clonmel were runner’s up in the competition. All of the lucky runners up and the winner were taken for a flight in the new helicopter.

Commenting on the naming of the SAR Helicopter at Waterford Airport, Declan Geoghegan, Irish Coast Guard Operations Manager said, “We are delighted to have such a great and very appropriate name win this competition, we do want to thank everyone who took the time to enter this competition. We had an enormous level of interest and great suggestions. Well done to Eilish, who submitted the winning name.”

Desmond O’Flynn, CEO, Waterford Airport, added: “Waterford Airport is privileged to work with the Irish Coast Guard and all of the crew here at the Waterford base. ‘Cara na Mara’ or ‘Friend of the Sea’ is a perfectly appropriate name for not only the helicopter but for all of the work that is carried out by the Irish Coast Guard in the Southeast region.”

Pictured at the Waterford Airport SAR Hangar are the crew of Rescue 117 with Irish Coastguard Operations Manager Declan Geoghegan and the winner and runner’s up from the competition to name the new helicopter, James Doherty from Cheekpoint, Clara Hogan from Brownstown and Craig Hartnett and the overall winner Eilish Meade from Passage East, Pilots Danny Wright and Rob Goodbody, Winchman Richard Wallace and Winch Op Christy Mahady – photograph Noel Browne.

The new S92 Helicopter will now enables the crew to increase their range to 270 miles, reach a top speed of 160 miles per hour, carry a greater number of casualties, and operate in more adverse weather conditions than its forerunner. It also carries out taskings for the HSE including transporting patients or organs for transplants to the UK.

Further information is available from www.flywaterford.com

Pictured at the Waterford Airport SAR Hangar are the crew of Rescue 117 with Irish Coastguard Operations Manager Declan Geoghegan and the winner and runner’s up from the competition to name the new helicopter, James Doherty from Cheekpoint, Clara Hogan from Brownstown and Craig Hartnett and the overall winner Eilish Meade from Passage East, Pilots Danny Wright and Rob Goodbody, Winchman Richard Wallace and Winch Op Christy Mahady – photograph Noel Browne.