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AfloatDigi 2018 CHMarine SafetySection

Search & Rescue, Water Safety - News from the Marine Safety Agencies
Courtmacsherry RNLI Respond To Third Call-Out In 12 hours
#courtmacsherryRNLI – For many it was the end of the working week, but for members of the Courtmacsherry RNLI All weather Lifeboat Crew, yesterday evening was only the commencement of a very busy period of activity at sea, as it has…
Water-Based Emergency Calls Will Go Directly To Coastguard
#Coastguard - All water-based emergency calls to 999 or 112 will be relayed directly to the Irish Coast Guard, as The Irish Times reports. The new measure – first considered by then Transport Minister Leo Varadkar in July 2013 –…
Buncrana Welcomes New Shannon Class Lifeboat
#shannonlifeboat – Crowds turned out in Buncrana today to welcome a brand new €2.4 million lifeboat to its new home on the Donegal coast. The new boat that featured in today's Afloat enewletter has been warmly anticipate on the north coast. The…
Photographing Every Lifeboat Station In Britain & Ireland With A Victorian Camera
#RNLI - Jack Lowe has loved the RNLI since he was a little boy. He became a member of Storm Force, the charity’s club for children, at the age of eight – about the same time he picked up his…
Howth RNLI Announces Retirement of Lifeboat Operations Manager
#rnli – Howth RNLI has announced its Lifeboat Operations Manager (LOM), Rupert Jeffares will be retiring from his post after over 50 years of tireless dedication to Howth RNLI. Mr. Jeffares has contributed to saving hundreds of lives at sea,…
Coastguard Chopper Operator Hails 'Milestone' Year
#Coastguard - Shannon-based Rescue 115's "milestone" year has been highlighted by the operator of Ireland's coastguard helicopter fleet. In an interview with Aviation Today, CHC general operations manager Chris Hodson said 2014's "significant number of missions" was down to the…
Bundoran Lifeboat Launches To Surfer In Difficulty
#Lifeboats - Yesterday evening (Monday 6 April), the volunteer crew of Bundoran RNLI were requested by the Irish Coast Guard at Malin Head to launch to a surfer in difficulty. Shortly after 8pm, a passer-by noticed a female surfer in…
Kilkeel Lifeboat Manager Roy Teggarty Retires
#RNLI - Roy Teggarty has retired as lifeboat operations manager at Kilkeel RNLI in Co Down. At a social evening in the local British Legion on Friday 27 March, Teggarty was pleased to greet fellow Kilkeel RNLI colleagues as well…
RNLI Lifeboat Launches for Yachtsman 'Lost' on Lough Derg
#rnli – Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat launched following a transmission on Channel 16 from a yachtsman reporting himself lost on Lough Derg. At 8.15pm on Saturday evening, March 4, Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat launched following a request by Valentia Coast…
Ireland's First Permanent Inland Lifeboat Station Now Complete At Carrybridge
#RNLI - The RNLI’s first permanent inland lifeboat station is now complete and fully operational on Upper Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh. After been housed in temporary accommodation for 13 years, Enniskilllen RNLI volunteers were handed the keys to their…
Fethard-On-Sea Lifeboat Launches To Man Who Tried To Rescue Dog From Gully
#RNLI - Fethard-on-Sea RNLI were diverted from a planned exercise last weekend following a report of a young man in extreme difficulty after he launched a kayak near Baginbun Head to rescue his dog from a steep gully. The young…
First RNLI Shannon Class Lifeboat in Ireland to Arrive into Lough Swilly, County Donegal
#rnli – Lifeboat crew from Lough Swilly RNLI are currently onboard the station's new €2.4 million Shannon class lifeboat and en route to its permanent home in Donegal from the charity's headquarters in Poole. As Afloat reported earlier, he new…
John McColgan Photographic Exhibition in Aid of Howth RNLI Opened by Gay Byrne
#rnli – On Monday broadcaster Gay Byrne officially opened the Howth Horizons exhibition of photographs taken by John McColgan, the multi-award winning director and producer of Riverdance. The exhibition runs until 20th April at The House restaurant in Howth. All…
Red Bay Lifeboat Launches To Aid Lone Yachtsman In Poor Weather
#RNLI - Red Bay RNLI's lifeboat crew went to the aid of a lone yachtsman some 1.5 miles off Glenarm in Co Antrim yesterday evening (Sunday 29 March). The volunteer lifeboat crew launched at 6.10pm to assist the 25-foot yacht, which was…
Tourist In Fall Near Cliffs Of Moher
#Rescue - BreakingNews.ie reports that a French tourist was rescued after a fall near the Cliffs of Moher yesterday afternoon (Sunday 29 March). The woman had been walking with her family south of the famous Clare coastal spot when she…
Wicklow Lifeboat Launches To Rescue Kitesurfer
#RNLI - Wicklow RNLI's all-weather lifeboat launched at 5.10pm on Saturday (28 March) to assist a kitesurfer in difficulty off Potters Point, south of Wicklow Head. The kitesurfer was unable to get ashore after leaving the beach at Jack’s Hole.…

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.