Hostage drama at town port
LOUTH GARDA DIVISION PLAYED HOST TO MAJOR EMERGENCY PLAN EVENT ON RIVER BOYNE
THERE was a siege situation at Drogheda Port last week when two people were taken captive by an armed man.
Members of the Emergency Response Unit rushed to the scene and after a tense stand-off, stormed the area where the man was located and captured him. No hostages were injured.
Earlier, a vessel coming up the Boyne towards the port was boarded by the ERU and an explosive device was recovered at the scene.
But all was not what it seemed...
THE LOUTH Garda Division was at the centre of a major scare last week when armed officers had to board a suspicious boat that came up the Boyne in Drogheda.
It was stormed and later, at the local port, two hostages were taken by a gunman, before he was forced to give himself up after a tense stand-off.
The two-hour incident was, however, a training exercise, aimed at testing the resources and reaction times of the Louth division.
Speaking afterwards, Chief Supt Sean Ward said the exercise was a ‘ learning process’ and was aimed to replicate any major incident in the Louth area, be it a plane crash, train crash or something similiar.
‘It was part of the Major Emergency Plan for the county and was an extremely valuable exercise,’ he stated.
He said it had taken months to organise and he was grateful to both Flogas and Drogheda Port for their assistance.
‘You always have to be prepared for something like this,’ he added.
The event attracted the national media and began with the boarding of the ‘Boyne Protector’ at Tom Roe’s Point by members of the ERU.
It continued at the town port when a hostage situation was played out, again the ERU involved, backed by the Regional support officers and the sub aqua division as well as the presence of the garda helicopter.
Supt Andrew Watters said the event was perfect to bring various elements together.
He thanked Inspector Alan McGovern for his role in organising the day.