When I read Charli’s 99 word prompt this week, I immediately remembered the tragic events at Blackrock Island in the very early hours of March 14^th 2017.

Life savers on any body of water. It can be a formal Coast Guard, historical or contemporary. It could be an individual who unexpectedly takes on the role.

Rescue 116

Irish Coast Guard helicopter

Called into the night

Black ocean swells

Rocky terrain in sight

 

Find Blacksod Bay

Refuel at the lighthouse

Where the keeper awaits

No mayday distress

 

Black box tells

Of that early misty morn

Winchman yelled ‘come right’

Duffy said ‘we’re gone’

 

Didn’t make it to the lighthouse

Hit Blackrock instead

Two were lost at sea

Two were found…now dead

 

Ciarán Smith

Father of three

Paul Ormsby

Lived for family

 

Captain Dara Fitzpatrick

Mother sister friend

Captain Mark Duffy

All heroes till the end

 

The nation mourned

We’ll never forget

Rescue 116

Saviours we never met