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AfloatDigi 2018 CHMarine SafetySection

Search & Rescue, Water Safety - News from the Marine Safety Agencies
Youghal RNLI’s inshore lifeboat on a previous launch
Youghal RNLI’s volunteer crew were paged this morning (Sunday 2 August) at 8.03am to help a one-person fishing boat with engine trouble, six miles south of Capel Island off East Cork. Operating safely within the RNLI and Government Covid-19 guidelines,…
File image of Portrush RNLI’s inshore lifeboat
Portrush RNLI’s inshore lifeboat launched to the rescue of a 50-year-old woman who fell into the water while with a coasteering group at Dunseverick near the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland yesterday afternoon (Saturday 1 August). The volunteer crew applied…
Wicklow RNLI Launch to Assist Yacht with Mechanical Problems
Wicklow all-weather RNLI lifeboat launched shortly after 12:45 pm today (Saturday 1 August) following a Coast Guard launch request, to assist a 14-metre ketch with four people onboard near Greystones. The drifting yacht was located 30 minutes later by Coxswain…
RNLI all-weather Achill lifeboat in Co Mayo
RNLI stations are reporting a busy season as more people stay at home for holidays due to the Covid-19 restrictions. As The Irish Examiner reports, new standard operating procedures (SOPs) to adhere with Covid-19 public health and safety guidelines have…
Bank Holiday Appeal For Beachgoers To Social Distance & Swim Only Where Lifeguards Are On Duty
Upon the busiest Bank Holiday weekend of the year, Water Safety Ireland is appealing for people to swim only where lifeguards are present and to adhere to social distancing guidelines at beaches. Water temperature is approaching its highest for the…
Larne RNLI’s inshore lifeboat Terry
Larne RNLI rescued a jet skier who had fallen into the water off the Co Antrim coast and couldn’t get back onto his craft. The volunteer crew launched the in-shore lifeboat Terry just after 8pm on Tuesday evening and reached…
Public Safety Guidelines Reminder For Ireland’s Anglers
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is reminding anglers to follow safety guidelines on the water and to be aware of potential dangers and risks. Anglers are also reminded to follow HSE and Government advice regarding physical distancing and outdoor gatherings to…
The new water safety logo
Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton TD today (31 July) launched the newly updated Safety on the Water website.  This is a collaboration between the Coast Guard, RNLI, Water Safety Ireland, Irish Sailing and BIM, and…
The AMS Retriever, pictured, or Husky will be used for the upcoming Metocean deployments
Metocean devices will be deployed in the Irish Sea off the Wicklow coast) in the coming days, weather permitting, to provide environmental data for the development of the Arklow Bank Wind Park. Similar to last autumn’s deployment, four separate devices…
Irish Coast Guard at the scene of the rip current incident at Inch Beach on Sunday
A local surfing school instructor raced to the rescue of a teenage boy caught in a rip current off a Co Cork beach at the weekend, as CorkBeo reports. Luke Chambers of the Swell Surf School was with a surf…
Crosshaven RNLI station
Aengus O’Donovan, a former Crosshaven RNLI crew member was returning to Crosshaven in his trawler, the 10m Majestic IV this afternoon when he spotted two young men in a supermarket inflatable boat/toy with no lifejackets approximately 1 mile south of…
Baltimore RNLI all weather lifeboat with the casulaty yacht alongside in Baltimore Harbour
Baltimore RNLI was called out earlier this afternoon (Monday 27 July) to provide assistance to a yacht in difficulty near Middle Calf Island off the coast of West Cork. The volunteer lifeboat crew launched their all-weather lifeboat at 4.55 pm,…
‘Do Not Swim’ Notice Issued For Portmarnock’s Velvet Strand
Fingal Council Council has issued a ‘do not swim’ notice for Velvet Strand in Portmarnock after a wastewater overflow this morning, Monday 27 July. The overflow at a nearby pumping station followed heavy rainfall and resulted in a direct discharge…
Bundoran inshore lifeboat approaching Rossnowlagh beach
The volunteer crew of Bundoran RNLI was called out on Sunday afternoon to reports of bodyboarders in trouble at Rossnowlagh Beach. Just after 2:05pm, the crew was alerted to the situation by Malin Head Coast Guard who had received an…
Rescue 116 flying with Bray Head in the background
In the absence of this year’s Bray Air Display due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Irish Coast Guard’s Dublin-based helicopter Rescue 116 conducted a special fly-past to pay tribute to Ireland’s frontline healthcare workers. The Sikorsky S92 helicopter took to…
The Irish Coast Guard on the beach at Sandymount
The Irish Coast Guard’s Dun Laoghaire unit launched to the rescue of a family of four cut off by the tide on Sandymount yesterday afternoon, Saturday 25 July. Dun Laoghaire Coast Guard were tasked to incident along with the local…

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.