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AfloatDigi 2018 CHMarine SafetySection

Search & Rescue, Water Safety - News from the Marine Safety Agencies
Irish Water Safety Issues Bank Holiday Warning
#watersafety – Water-related tragedies can happen in seconds and in the wake of 128 drownings last year, Irish Water Safety is drawing attention to the dangers that will put people's lives at risk this coming Bank Holiday weekend. Dry, crisp…
Coastguard Urges Proper Use of Emergency Locators After Midweek Incident
#COASTGUARD - The Irish Coast Guard has urged any sailors or aviators using emergency locator transmitters (ELTs) to take care with their use and storage after an incident last week, The Irish Times reports. A major search and rescue operation…
Cork Lifeboat Rescues Sailor from Capsized Sailing Dinghy
#lifeboat – A pan pan message was sent out and the Ballycotton lifeboat crew pagers were activated this afternoon for a capsized sailing dinghy. The alert was for a capsized sailing dinghy one mile north east of Ballycotton lighthouse with…
Howth Coast Guard Operates New Side Scan Sonar
#COASTGUARD - Howth Coast Guard will be one of the first search and rescue teams to avail of the Irish Coast Guard's new side scan sonar, it has emerged. The specialised underwater sonar is available for 24/7 response on rivers,…
Marine Notice: Cable Laying in Irish Sea Between Wales and Portmarnock
#MARINE WARNING - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advises mariners of cable laying operations in the Irish Sea from next week onwards. The cable laying operations between Wales and Portmarnock Beach in…
Tourist Dies in Cape Town Charter Boat Capsize
#WATER SAFETY - Irish tourists headed to South Africa have been reminded of the dangers of the sea after a whale-watching vessel capsized near Cape Town at the weekend. As BBC News reports, British tourist Peter Hyett and crewman John…
Marine Notice: Alcohol and Drugs Onboard Pleasure Craft
#WATER SAFETY - The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) has published a Marine Notice addressed to all pleasure and recreational craft owners, masters and users to remind the public of the law in relation to being under the…
Irish Residents Among Rescued as Party Boat Hits Rocks in San Francisco
#RESCUE - An unconfirmed number of men from Ireland were among 22 people rescued from a sinking passenger boat in San Francisco Bay in the early hours of this morning. KGO-TV News reports that the hull of The Neptune was…
Courtmacsherry Lifeboat Rescues Two from 40-foot Yacht
#rnli – Courtmacsherry RNLI in West Cork has rescued two people from a stricken yacht which had been at sea for 14 days. Volunteer lifeboat crew was requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat at 4.40pm yesterday evening (Tuesday, 9 October) to…
Dublin Bay Lifeboat Walk & Cycle in aid of the RNLI
#lifeboat – Dun Laoghire RNLI and Howth RNLI are organising a walk and cycle around Dublin Bay on Sunday 21 October. Participants will set off from Dun Laoghire Lifeboat Station on the south of Dublin Bay and from Howth Lifeboat…
Galway Lifeguard Praised for Canoe Rescue
#RESCUE - A lifeguard at Galway's Leisureland has been praised for his part in the rescue of a canoeist who got into difficulty in the water off Salthill, as The Connacht Sentinel reports. Ian Brennan raced to the water after…
Distillery Raises Over £17,000 for Portrush Lifeboat
#rnli – Diageo Northern Ireland announced that it raised a total of £17,390 for its charity partner, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). The staff at Bushmills Distillery participated in a number of fundraising events, ranging from the company's annual…
Galway Lifeboat Named 'Binny' in Memory of a Loving Husband
#rnli –  At a special ceremony held  in Galway on Saturday the RNLI officially named its new Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Binny, at its station on the city's harbour.  Pat Lavelle, Chair of the Lifeboat Management Group, handed over the lifeboat…
Crosshaven Lifeboat Aids Yachtsman with Chest Pains
#rnli – A 'Pan Pan' radio call to Valentia Coast Guard resulted in the Crosshaven Lifeboat being tasked to a medical emergency on board a Yacht off Cork Harbour today. At 1.30pm, the Crosshaven RNLI crew were informed that an…
Operating Pleasure Craft Under the Influence of Alcohol
#warning – The Department of Transport has issued a Marine Notice to highlight the dangers inherent in excessive alcohol consumption whilst on board or operating a vessel. While operating a pleasure craft, it is against the law to be under…
Marine Notice: Rock Installation Works Along Corrib Pipeline
#MARINE WARNING - The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) has been advised that subsea rock installation works will shortly commence along a pipeline route from the Corrib Gas Field in Broad Haven Bay off Co Mayo. Works will…

Every Year Ireland's Search & Rescue Services deliver emergency life saving work on our seas, lakes and rivers.

Ireland's Water Safety Agencies work hard to provide us with the information we need to keep safe, while enjoying all manner of water based activities.

There's no better fun than getting out on the water but being afloat is a responsibility we all need to take seriously.

These pages detail the work of the rescue agencies. We also aim to promote safety standards among pleasure boaters, and by doing so, prevent, as far as possible, the loss of life at sea and on inland waters. If you have ideas for our pages we'd love to hear from you. Please email us at [email protected]

Think Before You Sink - Wear a Lifejacket

Accidents can happen fast on water and there may not be time to reach for a lifejacket in an emergency therefore don't just carry a lifejacket - wear it; if it's not on you, it can't save your life.

Irish Water Safety's Safe Boating Alert:

Check condition of boat and equipment, hull, engine, fuel, tools, torch.

Check the weather forecast for the area.

Check locally concerning dangerous currents and strong tides.

Do not drink alcohol while setting out or during your trip.

Carry an alternative means of propulsion e.g. sails and oars or motor and oars.

Carry a first aid kit on board and distress signals (at least two parachute distress rockets, two red hand flares).

Carry a fire extinguisher, a hand bailer or bucket with lanyard and an anchor with rope attached.

Carry marine radio or some means of communication with shore.

Do not overload the boat - this will make it unstable.

Do not set out unless accompanied by an experienced person.

Leave details of your planned trip with someone ashore - including departure and arrival times, description of boat, names of persons on board, etc.

Wear a Lifejacket at all times.

Keep an eye on the weather - seek shelter in good time.

In Marine Emergencies, call 999 or 112 and ask for Marine Rescue.

Lifejackets Checklist

Ensure Cartridges have not been punctured and are secured firmly.

Ensure all zips, buckles, fasteners and webbing straps are functioning correctly and adjusted to fit the user.

Check that fitted lights are operating correctly.

Ensure that Automatic Inflation devices are fully serviced and in date.

Check that the valve or lifejacket is not leaking.