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AfloatDigi 2018 CHMarine SafetySection

Search & Rescue, Water Safety - News from the Marine Safety Agencies
Bangor RNLI Celebrates 50 Years Of Lifesaving
#RNLI - On Friday 5 June, Bangor RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew, fundraisers and supporters gathered at the Marine Court Hotel to celebrate 50 years of saving lives at sea. Records held in the archives of Bangor lifeboat station indicate that…
Wicklow Lifeboat Assists Fishermen After Boat Trouble Off Kiloughter
#RNLI - Wicklow RNLI assisted two fishermen on a six-metre fishing boat in difficulties off Kiloughter beach on Friday morning (5 June). The lifeboat, with three volunteer crew, launched at 8.55am following a report that the boat had a rope caught…
Lifeboat Launches to Yacht Aground on Lough Derg
#rnli – Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat launched to assist two people on board a 26ft–yacht, aground east of Mountshannon Harbour last night. At 7.57pm on Friday evening, June 6, Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat to launch to…
Lack Of Experience, Absence Of Radio & Stability Issues Compounded 'Zillah' Dinghy Tragedy - MCIB Report
#Zillah - Lack of seafaring experience and the absence of a VHF radio or other means of contact compounded a tragic situation that led to the death of a retired teacher after the capsize of his dinghy off West Cork…
Marine Notice: Corrib Field Anchors Pre-Lay For Ocean Guardian Rig; Water Outfall Quality Survey
#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notices from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advise of the pre-laying of anchors in the Corrib Gas Field ahead of the arrival of the Ocean Guardian rig, and an inshore seawater sampling…
Coroner Rules Misadventure In West Cork Diver Deaths Inquest
#WaterSafety - Recreational divers must follow safety guidelines to the letter, a coroner has urged during the inquest into the death of two diving enthusiasts off West Cork last summer. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the two men in their…
Marine Notice: Deployment Of Waverider Buoy Off The West Coast
#MarineNotice - Marine Notice No 21 of 2015 from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advises that Shell E&P Ireland Ltd will be deploying a waverider buoy in late May 2015, weather permitting, in order to help predict…
CH Marine Stage 'Lifejacket Awareness Week'
#lifejacketawareness – Inflatable Lifejackets are without doubt the most convenient and unobtrusive PFDs available but they do need regular checks and servicing for their safe operation when needs. Leading Lifejacket supplier CH Marine is holding a Life Jacket Awareness Week this…
Dinghy Capsize in Carlingford Lough Prompts Kilkeel RNLI Rescue
#dinghycapsize – Volunteer lifeboat crew with Kilkeel RNLI launched yesterday evening at 6.30pm following reports of two people in the water off Killowen Point on Carlingford Lough. It is understood a member of the public raised the alarm on seeing…
RNLI Launches 'H2Only' Challenge
#rnli – No tea. No coffee. No fizzy drinks. No wine. No beer. No orange juice. The RNLI is challenging people to give up all drinks except water for 10 days for the H2Only challenge to raise funds for the…
Marine Notice: Carriage Of Inflatable Liferafts On Board Small Fishing Vessels
#MarineNotice - Marine Notice No 8 of 2005 supplemented by Marine Notice No 16 of 2011 provided information on eight types of liferaft, which the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) accepts for use on small fishing vessels that…
Clifden Lifeboat Carries Out First Medevac Off Inishbofin
#RNLI - Clifden RNLI carried out its first medical evacuation off Inishbofin island today (Thursday 21 May). In what was the fourth callout this week for the station, the volunteer lifeboat crew was paged shortly after 11.30am following a report…
Irish Coast Guard Puts Chopper Range To Test With Scilly Isles Rescue
#Coastguard - Two helicopters from the Irish Coast Guard's new long-range rescue fleet were dispatched in a multi-agency response to a sunken fishing trawler off the Isles of Scilly in the early hours of this morning (Tuesday 19 May). As…
Marine Notice: Maintenance & Pre-Commissioning Works On Corrib Gas Field
#MarineNotice - Maintenance and pre-commissioning activities are set to be carried out on the Corrib Gas Field. The work will all take place within the 500m Safety Zone surrounding the Corrib subsea facilities, and will be carried out by the…
Hibernia Express Subsea Cable Clearance Work Continues In Celtic Sea
#HiberniaExpress - The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport advises that TE SubCom, on behalf of Hibernia Express, is carrying out a route clearance operation and a pre-lay grapnel run along the Hibernia Express cable route using the M/V Ile…
Bundoran Lifeboat Launches To Swimmers In Difficulty Off Roguey
#RNLI - The volunteer crew of Bundoran RNLI were called out on Saturday evening (16 May) to reports of swimmers in trouble near the diving boards in Bundoran. The emergency call was received by Malin Head Coast Guard just after…

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.