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AfloatDigi 2018 CHMarine SafetySection

Search & Rescue, Water Safety - News from the Marine Safety Agencies
Wexford Lifeboat Brings Yacht To Safety In Third Callout This Week
#RNLI - A visiting yacht which ran aground on the way into Wexford Harbour was rescued by Wexford RNLI on Thursday afternoon (7 July) in what was the third callout for the volunteer crew this week. The previous evening, the…
 The large yacht had sustained engine failure a mile north east of Muck Island
Larne RNLI came to the aid of four people yesterday evening after their 16m yacht got into difficulty off the County Antrim coast. At approximately 6.30pm yesterday (Thursday 7 July), the volunteer crew was requested by Belfast Coastguard to launch…
New Way of Working for HM Coastguard Survey & Inspection Programme
Plans to make sure there is a full maritime survey and inspection team covering the whole UK, will see more remote working and a slight change to where some of the marine offices are based. The Maritime & Coastguard Agency…
Larne Grammar School year 8 pupils with their cheque for well over £1,000 to the Larne lifeboat
#RNLI - Over the last few months the generous people of Larne have raised over £2,000 for their local lifeboat station. More than £600 was raised by the Great Northern Retro car rally that left Larne at 9am on Saturday…
Lough Derg RNLI assist one person on their vessel aground
Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat launched to assist a person on board a 30ft–cruiser, aground at Gortmore Point, at the north-eastern shore of Lough Derg yesterday morning. Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat to launch to assist a person…
Lough Derg RNLI on a previous launch
#RNLI - Lough Derg RNLI's lifeboat launched this morning (Friday 1 July) to assist four people on board a 40ft cruiser whose anchor came loose and dragged beneath their boat in severe weather. At 11.20am Valentia Coast Guard requested the…
Valentia RNLI and Ballinskelligs CRBI go to the aid of the 10m fishing vessel
#RNLI - Valentia RNLI launched on Monday afternoon (27 June) to a 10m fishing vessel going aground off Bolus Head in Co Kerry after fouling its propeller. The call for assistance came from Valentia Coast Guard at 3.44pm with Ballinskelligs…
Courtmacsherry's all-weather lifeboat as seen of Roches Point
#RNLI - Courtmacsherry RNLI's all-weather lifeboat was called out at 12.20pm yesterday afternoon (Monday 27 June) to aid a 40ft pleasure cruiser in difficulties just off the Seven Heads in West Cork. The cruiser, with two people onboard, was on…
Crosshaven RNLI helm Ian Venner
#RNLI - Crosshaven RNLI has announced that Ian Venner, a helm with the crew, has been appointed to the RNLI Council for Ireland as one of its 15 members. Venner has been a member of the lifeboat crew and a…
Some of the Lough Swilly RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat crew on board their Shannon class lifeboat Derek Bullivant
The first Shannon class RNLI lifeboat to go on service in Ireland was officially named today in a special ceremony attended by crowds of people in Buncrana, county Donegal. The €2.4m life-saving vessel has already been on nineteen callouts since…
The blowhole at Dun na mBó in Co Mayo
#Coastguard - Coastguard teams from Achill and Ballyglass were involved in the recovery of the body of a young man from a popular tourism spot on the Mayo coast, as Independent.ie reports. Achill Coast Guard's cliff rescue unit were called…
Fishing Safety Event to be Held in Kilkeel
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) have joined with the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA), the Fishermen’s Mission and Seafish, the group responsible for the promotion of the fishing industry, to hold a fishing safety event in Kilkeel, County Down next…
A Coastguard helicopter rescue an injured crew man from a capsized trimaran on Dublin Bay in 2013.  At year end 2015, approximately 64% of all Irish Coast Guard call outs relating to vessels were linked to recreational craft use
It's now prime boating time in Ireland with long evenings and warm weather for enthusiasts to re–engage with their passion. It is timely that we share some thought-provoking facts in advance of this period of increased boating activity in the…
Union Hall Lifeboat Launches To Yacht Off Glandore Harbour
#RNLI - Union Hall RNLI was tasked by Valentia Coast Guard at 6.14pm on Monday (20 June 2016) to reports of a yacht in difficulty with a broken tiller three-and-a-half miles south of Glandore Harbour. The volunteer lifeboat crew launched…
Portrush RNLI's inshore lifeboat
#RNLI - Portrush RNLI's inshore lifeboat launched yesterday evening (Tuesday 21 June) to reports of a swimmer in difficulty at the Herring Pond in Portstewart. Three volunteer lifeboat crew launched the inshore lifeboat in cloudy conditions in a slight sea…
Mrs Rose Michael is presented with her RNLI Bar to Gold Badge by RNLI Chairman Charles Hunter-Pease
The RNLI held its Annual Presentation of Awards at the Guinness Storehouse on Friday (17 June 2016) where the charity presented 56 individual awards to volunteers from across the country. Five of the awardees were from Dublin North. However the…

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.