Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

AfloatDigi 2018 CHMarine SafetySection

Search & Rescue, Water Safety - News from the Marine Safety Agencies
Skerries RNLI tows a motorboat with engine difficulties to Howth
#RNLI - Skerries RNLI responded yesterday afternoon (Saturday 28 May) to reports of a motorboat adrift with engine difficulties some four miles east of Malahide Estuary. Skerries RNLI volunteers launched the lifeboat shortly before 2pm when Dublin Coast Guard tasked…
L-R) Donal O'Meara - President of Malahide Lions Club (MLC), Mary McNamara - Vice-President MLC, Christine Stanley MLC, Jacinta Harley Sub-Committee Chairperson MLC Rose Michael - Fundraising Chairperson Howth RNLI, Inspector Pat Kenny - Garda Band, Paul Douglas and Richard Killen, both MLC
Last Wednesday (25 May 2016) evening the Garda band took to the stage in Malahide Rugby Club to help raise funds for Howth RNLI and Malahide Lions Club charities. 150 people attended the event which raised over €2,000 for the…
Aerial view of Castletownbere Harbour
#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advises that site investigation works are to be carried out at Castletownbere Fishery Harbour Centre in West Cork. The work will comprise of drilling multiple…
Wicklow RNLI towing the stricken cruiser to safety
#RNLI - Both Wicklow RNLI lifeboats launched after 7.20pm on Sunday evening (22 May) to assist two men in a small motor cruiser near Wicklow Head. A member of the public contacted the Irish Coast Guard after seeing the men…
Crosshaven RNLI's inshore lifeboat Miss Betty
#RNLI - Crosshaven RNLI launched to reports of a man overboard from a visiting US Coast Guard cutter off Cork Harbour yesterday morning (Tuesday 24 May). According to the station's Facebook page, the Crosshaven lifeboat was tasked alongside the local…
Coastguard Rescue For Cruiser Couple On Lough Derg
#Coastguard - Two people on board a 30ft cruiser were rescued by the Irish Coast Guard's Killaloe unit yesterday evening (Monday 23 May), as the Irish Examiner reports. The coastguard team towed the boat into deeper water after it ran…
Skerries RNLI's inshore lifeboat Louis Simson
#RNLI - Skerries RNLI is looking for new volunteer crew members to join its search and rescue service in North Co Dublin. The station currently has 18 lifeboat and three shore crew to cover its service on the north east…
Alex Ellis-Roswell with friends from Ballyglass RNLI
#RNLI - Alex Ellis-Roswell recently walked into Mayo without any fanfare but with the sole aim to continue his marathon walk to raise funds for the RNLI, a charity close to his heart. The 23-year-old Kent native is well on…
Members of the Waves Music Festival committee with Fethard RNLI
#RNLI - Irish country music sensation Nathan Carter is set to headline the inaugural Waves Music Festival on Sunday 28 August 2016 at Loftus Hall in the historic coastal area of Hook Head. The family-themed day-long music event is being…
Kilmore Quay RNLI approaches the 20m trawler at the Smalls fishing grounds
#RNLI - Kilmore Quay RNLI's volunteer lifeboat crew were alerted at 1.43am yesterday morning (Thursday 19 May) to reports of an injured fisherman 40 miles offshore. The injured crewman was on board a 20m stern trawler fishing for prawns at…
A Soyuz rocket much like this one is set to launch next week with a flight path that takes it over the Irish EEZ
#MarineNotice - The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) has been advised by the Government of France about the planned launch of the rocket Soyuz VS15 from Kourou Spaceport in French Guyana on or around next Tuesday 24 May.…
Doolin Coast Guard RIB recovered a body this morning
The Doolin Coastguard unit have recovered the body of a male in an area known as Doonacore Bay, south of Doolin Point in Co Clare. The body was initially spotted shortly after 8am this morning by members of the Doolin…
A twelve year old girl is winched to safety after becoming stuck in mud at Hest Bank, Morecambe Bay.  She was one of two reported missing - the other was found quickly last night (18th May) - and had to be rescued through mud extraction techniques
A twelve–year–old girl has been winched to safety after becoming stuck in mud at Hest Bank, Morecambe Bay. Two girls were reported missing to the UK Coastguard at 6.30pm yesterday (18th May), one was soon found and brought back to…
Kilkeel Lifeboats Assists Injured Fisherman Off Down Coast
#RNLI - Kilkeel RNLI helped bring a fisherman to safety yesterday evening (Tuesday 17 May) after he was injured while fishing for prawns off the Co Down coast. The volunteer lifeboat crew was alerted at 4.50pm and requested by Belfast…
Skerries in-shore lifeboat
#RNLI - Skerries RNLI responded Sunday evening (15 May) to reports of a personal water craft in distress off the Martello tower in Loughshinny. Dublin Coast Guard tasked Skerries RNLI just after 6pm having receiving a 999 call about a…
The casualty was removed from the fishing vessel and brought back to Howth to a waiting ambulance. See video below
Howth RNLI launched at 3.45pm yesterday to reports of a fisherman in need of medical attention on a fishing boat 20 miles north of Lambay Island. The casualty was removed from the fishing vessel and brought back to Howth to…

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.