Sunday morning was a Search and Recovery Training Day for Sheephaven Divers, one of the two mandatory training days required for qualified divers to retain their Search and Recovery status for the coming year.
After John Joe Rowland, the Sheephaven S&R Unit Leader delivered the dive brief at the club house in Downings the club memebers moved to Downings harbour. From there a swim line formation was dropped into the water from Dive Boat Deirdre, which was under the helm of Damien Kelly and James Clay.
During the dive brief each diver and snorkeler was assigned a specific space on the swim line starting from the extreme right, with every diver in sight of his buddy on the right until the line was complete.
Once the divers established their formation along the pier they conducted their search to the end of the pier, wheeled right along the end of the pier until they wheeled right again and completed the first part of the dive along the outside of the pier.
Search and Recovery was at the core of Sheephaven SAC’s formation in 1977, when the founding members of the club approached Neil Bracken, a Sargent based in Falcarragh Garda Station and who had been involved with the Garda Underwater Unit for many years prior to his posting in Co. Donegal.
Two of those founding fathers are currently still active in Sheephaven SAC, namely Willie Sheridan and Noel Brennan, both of which were in Doe Amateur Swimming Club in the early 1970’s and have been ever present throughout the intervening years.
Finally well done to Sheephaven clubman Timmy Boyle who was featured on Monday nights Nationwide for his business venture Atlantic Composites. Sheephaven SAC wishes Timmy all the best for the future – fortune favours the brave.