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AfloatDigi 2018 CHMarine SafetySection

Search & Rescue, Water Safety - News from the Marine Safety Agencies
Arklow Lifeboat Crew Comes To Aid Of 'Sammy The Seal'
#RNLI - Arklow RNLI’s volunteers were involved in an unusual rescue yesterday (5 November) at Arklow Harbour's boat slipway when they came to the aid of a seal pup. Lifeboat crew were alerted to the marine mammal's plight by a…
Are you Towing your Boat with the Correct Driving Licence?
#towing – Laws about towing boats and trailers in Ireland has been considered a bit of a grey area by some sailors who hope for the best every time they hitch up but now the Road Safety Authority has announced that…
End Of An Era At Wicklow Lifeboat Station
#RNLI - It was the end of an era on Friday night 1 November as Wicklow RNLI held a retirement presentation to mark 46 years of service to Wicklow lifeboats by one of its greatest servants, Kit Dunne. Dunne first…
Howth, Kilrush Lifeboats Launch In Gale Force Winds At Weekend
#RNLI - Howth RNLI has brought six people to safety on Saturday evening (2 November) after their 37ft yacht got into difficulty north of Dublin Bay. The volunteer crew was requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat by the Irish Coast…
Major Search For Woman In Galway Docks Is False Alarm
#RNLI - Galway RNLI joined a major search for a woman believed to have entered the water at Galway Docks in the early hours of yesterday morning (Friday 1 November) that turned out to be a false alarm. The Irish…
Holyhead Lifeboat Rescues Man Clinging To Rope In Harbour
#RNLI - Holyhead RNLI's inshore lifeboat launched in the early hours of yesterday morning (28 October) to help recover a man from the harbour in severe hypothermic condition. volunteers took the male in his late twenties from the water in…
Irish Coastguard Helicopter Scrambled In Search for Two Men off Ballycastle
#coastguard – Belfast Coastguard were contacted in the early hours of this morning by the police, following a call they had received from a concerned hotel proprietor whose two male occupants had gone out walking in the Ballycastle area and…
Flares No Longer Needed To Signal Distress Says RYA
#Flares - Distress flares have outlived their usefulness in an age of modern water safety technology, says the Royal Yachting Association - which is urging British authorities to drop the requirement for flares on yachts larger than 13.7 metres. On…
Lough Derg Lifeboat Stood Down As Search For Mystery Calls Comes Up Empty
#RNLI - Lough Derg RNLI's lifeboat launched following two separate 999 calls from members of the public reporting that they had heard calls for help from the lake at Two Mile Gate on Friday afternoon (25 October). Valentia Coast Guard…
Batten Down the Hatches as Storm Approaches Ireland
#storm – Ireland is bracing itself for a fast aproaching southwest gale or strong gale at first this evening on coasts from Loop Head to Fair Head to Roches Point and on the Irish Sea according to Met Eireann. The…
Coast Guard Advises Caution as Met Éireann Issues Gale Warning
#coastguard –  The Coast Guard advises the public to be careful on exposed westerly coasts, cliffs, piers, harbour walls, beaches, and promenades this weekend especially Sunday due to forecasted strong gale force westerly winds. Met Éireann has a gale warning…
Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat Launches After 999 Calls
#rnli – Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat launched following two separate 999 calls from members of the public, reporting that they had heard calls for help from the lake at Two Mile Gate.At 12.15pm this afternoon, Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough…
Kilrush Lifeboat Diverts From Training To Remove Floating Object
#RNLI - Kilrush RNLI was on a regular training exercise on Tuesday evening 22 October when a member of the public informed them of an object floating in the water about one mile east of Cappa Pier on the Shannon…
Water Safety Warns Stay Safe, Smart & Sober Near Water
#watersafety – Water-related tragedies can happen in seconds and in the wake of 147 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. Wet, windy…
Arctic Training for Small Craft Mariners at National Maritime College of Ireland
#arctic – Cork Institute of Technology, through its Nimbus Centre and the Halpin Centre for Research & Innovation at the National Maritime College of Ireland, is to become a global leader in training small-craft mariners who work in extremely challenging…
Innovative Lifesaving Devices Vie For Design Award
#WaterSafety - A lifejacket that turns into a wetsuit and a special harness that keeps lifejacket wearers upright in the water are in contention for a top innovation prize, as Yachting Monthly reports. The Hydros personal flotation device (PFD), by…

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.