- Jim O’Neill received the Billy Deacon Award at the House of Commons on 9 July.
- The award recognised his role in rescuing 14 fishermen from the Fastnet on 14 December 2025.
- The vessel suffered engine failure off Dingle Harbour and was driven ashore.
- Rescue 115 winch operator Éamonn Ó Broin placed O’Neill aboard the vessel.
- All 14 crew were lifted to safety in 50 minutes across two helicopter sorties.
Bristow Ireland winch paramedic James (Jim) O’Neill has received the 2026 Billy Deacon Search and Rescue Memorial Trophy for his role in the rescue of 14 fishermen from the grounded trawler Fastnet off the Kerry coast last December. O’Neill, a member of the Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard Search and Rescue helicopter team, received the award during the Air League’s annual reception ceremony at the House of Commons in London on 9 July.
The Billy Deacon Award is one of the highest honours in helicopter search and rescue, established in memory of Bristow winchman Billy Deacon, who lost his life during a rescue mission off Shetland in 1997.
The rescue involved the 28-metre French-flagged fishing vessel Fastnet, which suffered engine failure shortly after departing Dingle Harbour on the morning of Sunday, December 14, 2025.. The vessel was driven ashore near Bínn Bán, close to the harbour entrance, and was pounded by heavy Atlantic swell and near gale-force winds. A major multi-agency response was launched by the Irish Coast Guard, involving Shannon-based Rescue 115, fixed-wing aircraft Rescue 120F, Valentia RNLI lifeboat crews, Dingle Coast Guard units, local vessels and the Naval Service.
The Fastnet was a 28-meter, 350-tonne French-registered (and Spanish-owned) fishing vessel. The trawler suffered total engine failure and lost power shortly after departing Dingle Harbour. Driven by Force 8 gales and massive 8-meter swells during a Status Orange weather warning, the vessel drifted and crashed onto jagged rocks at Binn Bán beach, right at the base of a 50-meter cliff near the harbour entrance.
Coordinated by the Irish Coast Guard Marine Rescue Sub-Centre on Valentia Island, a major multi-agency rescue was launched around 11:30 AM. Because the treacherous breaking surf made a sea rescue by lifeboats impossible, the Shannon-based Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 115, performed a highly dangerous aerial winching operation. The helicopter crew successfully winched all 14 multinational crew members to safety in two separate sorties. No injuries were reported. The operation was supported by a fixed-wing Coast Guard aircraft (Rescue 120F), the Valentia RNLI All-Weather Lifeboat, the Dingle Coast Guard land unit, and local fishing boats.
With Rescue 115 established overhead, winch operator Éamonn Ó Broin successfully placed O’Neill aboard the violently moving vessel. O’Neill located the frightened crew sheltering in the wheelhouse, organised the evacuation and coordinated the winching operation. Over approximately 50 minutes, all 14 fishermen were lifted to safety and transferred ashore in two helicopter sorties without injury. The rescue crew comprised Captain Robert Goodbody, Co-Pilot Paraic Slattery, Winch Operator Éamonn Ó Broin and Winch Paramedic Jim O’Neill.
The Fastnet could not be towed or refloated due to the severe weather, and its hull breached, spilling thousands of liters of fuel oil into the local marine ecosystem. Salvage crews eventually began cutting up and removing the wreck in late April 2026.
Philip Bartlett, Bristow Director of Irish SAR, shared, “The rescue was demanding and challenging, with no small amount of personal risk.”
Rescue 115 Winch Paramedic James O’Neill has been awarded the prestigious Billy Deacon Search and Rescue Memorial Trophy in London’s House of Commons for his exceptional courage and leadership during this 50-minute rescue to save the crew of the Fastnet trawler in County Kerry on the morning of Sunday, December 14, 2025.
