Displaying items by tag: accident
Limerick Rower Sheehan in Critical Condition After Fall
#Rowing: Limerick rower Ailish Sheehan (23) is in critical condition after a fall after she had competed at the World University Rowing Championships in Poznan, Poland.
Sheehan apparently fell on a footpath when celebrating taking a bronze medal while competing with the Britain team. With crewmates Rebecca Edwards, Annie Withers and Gillian Cooper, she finished third in the women’s four.
Sheehan, from St Michael’s rowing club, had rowed in an Ireland four at the World Under-23 Rowing Championships in 2013 with Lisa Dilleen, Emily Tormey and Aifric Keogh. They finished fourth.
She had won a scholarship to Notre Dame in the United States in 2011 and completed a degree there in design. She stroked the Notre Dame crew to sixth in the Head of the Charles in 2014. She returned and moved to Britain and switched to the British system.
Irish Tourist Dies After Houseboat Fall In Australia
An Irish tourist has died after a fall from a houseboat in Australia earlier today (Saturday 23 January), as RTÉ News reports.
The 27-year-old man, who has not yet been named, is understood to have fallen from the top deck of the houseboat on the Murray River between New South Wales and Victoria, and may have hit his head as he fell.
RTÉ News has more on the story HERE.
Sutton Dinghy Club Settles With Former Instructor Over Finger Incident
#SuttonDC - A former sailing instructor has settled her case against Sutton Dinghy Club over an incident in which she lost a finger.
As The Irish Times reports, representatives for Hannah Fitzsimons alleged that she had been "required to carry out an unsafe activity and was caused or permitted use a dangerous or unsafe method for towing boats in difficulty".
The claim stemmed from the incident on 11 August 2011 in which her left ring finger was amputated while she was towing a dinghy by hand in waters adjacent to the clubhouse.
An accomplished musician, the Sutton woman said the accident had forced her to give up on plans to be a music teacher and rendered her unable to play the flute or the piano.
The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.
MCIB Publish Fatal Powerboat Accident Report on Lough Derg
#powerboat accident – The Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) has released details of a fatal powerboat accident near Garrykennedy on Lough Derg from 2012.
On the morning of 2nd August 2012, Mr Patrick Danaher purchased fuel for his powerboat at New Line, Killaloe.
That evening, the boat was seen floating partially submerged and overturned with the bow out of the water near Youghal Bay, Lough Derg. Afloat.ie's news report at the time of the capsize is here.
The boat had struck submerged rocks at high speed and suffered major damage to the outdrive allowing the free ingress of water into the boat.
The boat was recovered that evening and Mr Danaher's body was recovered from the lake the following day.
In its conclusions the MCIB said the boat and its machinery were in good condition and did not contribute to the incident.
The displacement of the outdrive port side pivot pin was not significant in the incident.
At the time of the incident the boat was being driven at high speed close to the shoreline.
The post mortem results show that the ethanol levels in Mr Danaher's blood and urine were within the toxic range. However, the influence of alcohol may have affected his ability to:
• effectively apply his local knowledge and experience
• make rational decisions in respect of the speed of the boat and its course
• recognise the danger of driving the boat in such close proximity to the small headland and the submerged rocks adjacent to the headland.
Mr Danaher did bring the control lever to the neutral position and shut down the engine at the time of the incident.
The full report is downloadable here as a PDF file.
Search Ends for Missing Sailors in San Francisco Yacht Tragedy
#MISSING SAILORS - The US Coast Guard last night suspended its search for four yacht crew members - including two Irish sailors - who went missing after what's being described as San Francisco's worst ever sailing accident, Fox News reports.
Petty Officer Caleb Critchfield told the Associated Press: "There's a window of survivability and we searched well beyond that window."
Boats and aircraft had combed over 5,000 square miles of ocean in a marathon 30-hour operation before the search was halted at sunset last night. It is not expected to resume.
As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the missing include Irish yachtsmen Alan Cahill, originally from Blarney in Co Cork, and his friend Elmer Morrissey, who had moved to the US for work only last year, according to friends and colleagues on Facebook.
The two men, along with fellow crew Jordan Fromm, Alexis Busch and Marc Kasanin, were thrown into the frigid water after their 38-foot yacht Low Speed Chase ran aground at the Farallon Islands, some 25 miles off the coast of San Francisco in northern California.
Three other crewmembers, including the boat's owner and skipper James Bradford, were rescued from the rocks shortly after the incident. The body of Kasanin, 45, was recovered from the water hours later.
The boat had been competing in the Full Crew Farallones Race with 40 other yachts between San Francisco and the islands when the tragedy occurred.
Known for its rough conditions with 14-foot swells and winds of up to 20 knots, the near-century old tradition has "never been for the faint of heart".
Abu Dhabi Team Suffer Broken Mast Six Hours Into VOR
#VOLVO OCEAN RACE - Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing's challenge was nearly scuppered at the outset when their yacht suffered a broken mast just hours into the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race yesterday. Dismast photos by Paul Todd below.
The accident occurred 30 nautical miles south of Cartagena on the Spanish Mediterranean, when the yacht Azzam encountered rough weather some six hours after leaving Alicante.
"Our mast broke into three pieces when landing off a big wave in 30+ knots of wind," said skipper Ian Walker. "We were sailing under a J4 and two reefs. We do not as yet know the cause."
A first leg disaster for Ian Walker on Abu Dhabi - Photo: Paul Todd
The broken mast pieces and rig were recovered, thanks to the "courageous" intervention of crewman Wade Morgan, who entered the water to cut away the top of the mainsail.
Walker added: “The mast from the first spreader up is now secured to the port side of the boat. About three or four metres protrude from behind the boat. A spider web of lines is keeping the operation intact. The crew are deeply disappointed.”
Yacht and crew - which includes Wexford man Justin Slattery - were last night headed towards the flatter water at Cabo de Palos before returning to Alicante under motor to begin repairs and get back in the race.
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing are one of six teams competing in the epic round-the-world yacht race, which is set to finish in Galway next July.
Earlier this week the team finished first in the initial in-port race of the competition.
The official Volvo Ocean Race website has more on the story HERE.
Boy Drowns in Liffey, Diver Treated for Bends
Gardaí have confirmed that a 14-year-old boy drowned in the River Liffey near Clane, Co Kildare on Saturday.
According to The Irish Times, it is believed the accident occurred while the teen was playing in the river with friends. His body was removed to Naas hospital.
Elsewhere, RTÉ News reports that a diver is being treated for the bends after getting into difficulty in the sea near Kilkee, Co Clare on Sunday.
The man was airlifted by the Shannon coast guard to Galway's University Hospital after being retrieved by colleagues.
Naval Sailor Dies in Accident in Schull
Gardai are treating the death of the 34-year-old who fell in to the sea at Schull as an accident. The Irish Times has more on the tragic accident HERE.
Red Bay Lifeboat Crew Provide First Aid to Collapsed Man at Fair Head
Lifeboat crew with Red Bay RNLI put their first aid training into practice this afternoon when a man collapsed while out walking in Boulder Field at Fair Head in County Antrim. The two lifeboat crew had to scale 150 feet of rocky headland to reach the two men who had been out walking and to administer first aid to the casualty.
Red Bay RNLI lifeboat was launched at 3.55pm to the incident and on arrival at the scene the lifeboat crew were able to locate the two men among the rocks. Two lifeboat volunteers left the lifeboat with first aid equipment to give assistance to the casualty. However to reach the men they had to climb 150 feet up the rocky terrain. The Royal Navy helicopter Rescue 177 from Prestwick arrived a short time later with a paramedic and was able to stabilise the casualty and winch both him and the other man aboard and bring them both to Coleraine Hospital.
Commenting on the callout Red Bay RNLI lifeboat helm Paddy McLaughlin said, " Thankfully we are very familiar with this area and two of our lifeboat crew were able to use their first aid training and go to the assistance of the casualty. This is not an easy area to access and the two men had been out walking since breakfast."
Last August Red Bay RNLI lifeboat crew brought a brother and sister to safety when they got into difficulty among the rocks at Fair Head.
Additional report from HM Coastguard
TWO MEN STUCK ON CLIFF AT FAIR HEADAt 3.50 pm this afternoon, Coleraine Police were in touch with Belfast Coastguard earlier this afternoon to inform them about two men stuck on a cliff at Fair Head in Northern Ireland.
Both were wearing high visibility jackets whilst one man is aged 46, the other 52. The first informant, the younger man, suggested that the elder of the two men was in a state of collapse with vertigo and needed urgent attention.
The Ballycastle Coastguard Rescue Team were immediately turned out along with the Red Bay RNLI inshore lifeboat. A rescue helicopter – R177 – from Prestwick was also scrambled.
The position of the two men was given as near Murlough Cottage Caravan Park and that they were halfway up the rocks.
The weather was cold with high and clear skies at the time. When rescue units arrived on scene the two men could be seen wearing warm jackets and spotted halfway between the cliff base at Fair Head and the shore in heather and rocks. They were in a sheltered position.
By 4.30 two RNLI lifeboat crew had come ashore and made contact with the two and was administered first aid to the older man, and by 5.15 both casualties had been taken in to the helicopter, one by stretcher, and were transferred to Coleraine hospital.
The hospital landing site was also manned by the Coleraine Coastguard Team to assist in a quick transferal of the casualties into A&E.
Belfast Coastguard Watch Manager Steve Carson said
"We understand that the two men were out for a walk and became disorientated. Fortunately one of them had a phone on him and was able to get a signal to alert the emergency services.
"Do please check the weather before you set out and make sure you have sufficient supplies if planning an extended trip. For any emergencies on the cliffs, rocks beaches and seas around the Northern Ireland coastline please dial 999 and call the Coastguard."
Related Safety posts
RNLI Lifeboats in Ireland
Safety News
Rescue News from RNLI Lifeboats in Ireland
Coast Guard News from Ireland
Water Safety News from Ireland
Marine Casualty Investigation Board News
Marine Warnings
Kitesurfer Killed in France
A kitesurfer has been overwhelmed by the force of the wind while he was kitesurfing and been killed in France. He crashed into a nine-storey building and then went over it. The journal.ie has more on the accident. See over the fold.
Dun Laoghaire Harbour Information
Dun Laoghaire Harbour is the second port for Dublin and is located on the south shore of Dublin Bay. Marine uses for this 200-year-old man-made harbour have changed over its lifetime. Originally built as a port of refuge for sailing ships entering the narrow channel at Dublin Port, the harbour has had a continuous ferry link with Wales, and this was the principal activity of the harbour until the service stopped in 2015. In all this time, however, one thing has remained constant, and that is the popularity of sailing and boating from the port, making it Ireland's marine leisure capital with a harbour fleet of between 1,200 -1,600 pleasure craft based at the country's largest marina (800 berths) and its four waterfront yacht clubs.
Dun Laoghaire Harbour Bye-Laws
Download the bye-laws on this link here
FAQs
A live stream Dublin Bay webcam showing Dun Laoghaire Harbour entrance and East Pier is here
Dun Laoghaire is a Dublin suburb situated on the south side of Dublin Bay, approximately, 15km from Dublin city centre.
The east and west piers of the harbour are each of 1 kilometre (0.62 miles) long.
The harbour entrance is 232 metres (761 ft) across from East to West Pier.
53.3024° N, 6.1264° W
- Public Boatyard
- Public slipway
- Public Marina
23 clubs, 14 activity providers and eight state-related organisations operate from Dun Laoghaire Harbour that facilitates a full range of sports - Sailing, Rowing, Diving, Windsurfing, Angling, Canoeing, Swimming, Triathlon, Powerboating, Kayaking and Paddleboarding. Participants include members of the public, club members, tourists, disabled, disadvantaged, event competitors, schools, youth groups and college students.
- Commissioners of Irish Lights
- Dun Laoghaire Marina
- MGM Boats & Boatyard
- Coastguard
- Naval Service Reserve
- Royal National Lifeboat Institution
- Marine Activity Centre
- Rowing clubs
- Yachting and Sailing Clubs
- Sailing Schools
- Irish Olympic Sailing Team
- Chandlery & Boat Supply Stores
The east and west granite-built piers of Dun Laoghaire harbour are each of one kilometre (0.62 mi) long and enclose an area of 250 acres (1.0 km2) with the harbour entrance being 232 metres (761 ft) in width.
In 2018, the ownership of the great granite was transferred in its entirety to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council who now operate and manage the harbour. Prior to that, the harbour was operated by The Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company, a state company, dissolved in 2018 under the Ports Act.
- 1817 - Construction of the East Pier to a design by John Rennie began in 1817 with Earl Whitworth Lord Lieutenant of Ireland laying the first stone.
- 1820 - Rennie had concerns a single pier would be subject to silting, and by 1820 gained support for the construction of the West pier to begin shortly afterwards. When King George IV left Ireland from the harbour in 1820, Dunleary was renamed Kingstown, a name that was to remain in use for nearly 100 years. The harbour was named the Royal Harbour of George the Fourth which seems not to have remained for so long.
- 1824 - saw over 3,000 boats shelter in the partially completed harbour, but it also saw the beginning of operations off the North Wall which alleviated many of the issues ships were having accessing Dublin Port.
- 1826 - Kingstown harbour gained the important mail packet service which at the time was under the stewardship of the Admiralty with a wharf completed on the East Pier in the following year. The service was transferred from Howth whose harbour had suffered from silting and the need for frequent dredging.
- 1831 - Royal Irish Yacht Club founded
- 1837 - saw the creation of Victoria Wharf, since renamed St. Michael's Wharf with the D&KR extended and a new terminus created convenient to the wharf.[8] The extended line had cut a chord across the old harbour with the landward pool so created later filled in.
- 1838 - Royal St George Yacht Club founded
- 1842 - By this time the largest man-made harbour in Western Europe had been completed with the construction of the East Pier lighthouse.
- 1855 - The harbour was further enhanced by the completion of Traders Wharf in 1855 and Carlisle Pier in 1856. The mid-1850s also saw the completion of the West Pier lighthouse. The railway was connected to Bray in 1856
- 1871 - National Yacht Club founded
- 1884 - Dublin Bay Sailing Club founded
- 1918 - The Mailboat, “The RMS Leinster” sailed out of Dún Laoghaire with 685 people on board. 22 were post office workers sorting the mail; 70 were crew and the vast majority of the passengers were soldiers returning to the battlefields of World War I. The ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat near the Kish lighthouse killing many of those onboard.
- 1920 - Kingstown reverted to the name Dún Laoghaire in 1920 and in 1924 the harbour was officially renamed "Dun Laoghaire Harbour"
- 1944 - a diaphone fog signal was installed at the East Pier
- 1965 - Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club founded
- 1968 - The East Pier lighthouse station switched from vapourised paraffin to electricity, and became unmanned. The new candle-power was 226,000
- 1977- A flying boat landed in Dun Laoghaire Harbour, one of the most unusual visitors
- 1978 - Irish National Sailing School founded
- 1934 - saw the Dublin and Kingstown Railway begin operations from their terminus at Westland Row to a terminus at the West Pier which began at the old harbour
- 2001 - Dun Laoghaire Marina opens with 500 berths
- 2015 - Ferry services cease bringing to an end a 200-year continuous link with Wales.
- 2017- Bicentenary celebrations and time capsule laid.
- 2018 - Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company dissolved, the harbour is transferred into the hands of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council
From East pier to West Pier the waterfront clubs are:
- National Yacht Club. Read latest NYC news here
- Royal St. George Yacht Club. Read latest RSTGYC news here
- Royal Irish Yacht Club. Read latest RIYC news here
- Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club. Read latest DMYC news here
The umbrella organisation that organises weekly racing in summer and winter on Dublin Bay for all the yacht clubs is Dublin Bay Sailing Club. It has no clubhouse of its own but operates through the clubs with two x Committee vessels and a starters hut on the West Pier. Read the latest DBSC news here.
The sailing community is a key stakeholder in Dún Laoghaire. The clubs attract many visitors from home and abroad and attract major international sailing events to the harbour.
Dun Laoghaire Regatta
Dun Laoghaire's biennial town regatta was started in 2005 as a joint cooperation by the town's major yacht clubs. It was an immediate success and is now in its eighth edition and has become Ireland's biggest sailing event. The combined club's regatta is held in the first week of July.
- Attracts 500 boats and more from overseas and around the country
- Four-day championship involving 2,500 sailors with supporting family and friends
- Economic study carried out by the Irish Marine Federation estimated the economic value of the 2009 Regatta at €2.5 million
The dates for the 2021 edition of Ireland's biggest sailing event on Dublin Bay is: 8-11 July 2021. More details here
Dun Laoghaire-Dingle Offshore Race
The biennial Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race is a 320-miles race down the East coast of Ireland, across the south coast and into Dingle harbour in County Kerry. The latest news on the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race can be found by clicking on the link here. The race is organised by the National Yacht Club.
The 2021 Race will start from the National Yacht Club on Wednesday 9th, June 2021.
Round Ireland Yacht Race
This is a Wicklow Sailing Club race but in 2013 the Garden County Club made an arrangement that sees see entries berthed at the RIYC in Dun Laoghaire Harbour for scrutineering prior to the biennial 704–mile race start off Wicklow harbour. Larger boats have been unable to berth in the confines of Wicklow harbour, a factor WSC believes has restricted the growth of the Round Ireland fleet. 'It means we can now encourage larger boats that have shown an interest in competing but we have been unable to cater for in Wicklow' harbour, WSC Commodore Peter Shearer told Afloat.ie here. The race also holds a pre-ace launch party at the Royal Irish Yacht Club.
Laser Masters World Championship 2018
- 301 boats from 25 nations
Laser Radial World Championship 2016
- 436 competitors from 48 nations
ISAF Youth Worlds 2012
- The Youth Olympics of Sailing run on behalf of World Sailing in 2012.
- Two-week event attracting 61 nations, 255 boats, 450 volunteers.
- Generated 9,000 bed nights and valued at €9 million to the local economy.
The Harbour Police are authorised by the company to police the harbour and to enforce and implement bye-laws within the harbour, and all regulations made by the company in relation to the harbour.
There are four ship/ferry berths in Dun Laoghaire:
- No 1 berth (East Pier)
- No 2 berth (east side of Carlisle Pier)
- No 3 berth (west side of Carlisle Pier)
- No 4 berth (St, Michaels Wharf)
Berthing facilities for smaller craft exist in the town's 800-berth marina and on swinging moorings.
© Afloat 2020