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AfloatDigi 2018 CHMarine SafetySection

Search & Rescue, Water Safety - News from the Marine Safety Agencies
Marine Notice: Hydrographic & Geophysical Survey Off Mayo Coast, Celtic Sea & Irish Sea
#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) has been advised that a hydrographic and geophysical survey operation will be undertaken by INFOMAR for the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) off the…
Clogherhead RNLI crew inspect their lifeboat
#RNLI - Clogherhead RNLI's volunteer lifeboat crew launched their all-weather lifeboat at 11:50am yesterday (Sunday 20 March) in response to a distress EPIRB signal received from a fishing vessel located 25 miles east of Clogherhead. While en route to the…
Clifden RNLI members Andrew Bell, Ciaran Folan, David Coyne, Barry Ward and John Brittain accept a cheque for €1,820 from Jacqueline Hannon and Nancy Duffy on St Patrick’s Day
#RNLI - Bright sunshine and a much appreciated donation was a great start to St Patrick’s Day for the crew of Clifden RNLI. Longtime supporters and fundraisers Jacqueline Hannon and Nancy Duffy of Claddaghduff, Co Galway presented a cheque for…
Two Early Morning Callouts For Portrush Lifeboat In Busy 24 Hours
#RNLI - Portrush RNLI had a busy 24 hours earlier this week with two early morning callouts on consecutive days. The volunteer lifeboat crew was alerted at 4.45am on Monday (14 March) to reports of a fishing vessel that had…
Lap of Lough Ree cyclists prepare to set out on the third running of the charity event
#RNLI - Lough Ree RNLI’s third annual Lap Of Lough Ree charity cycle took place on Sunday 6 March, with 88 cyclists setting off in cold, dry weather at 10am. The cycle started and finished at The Bounty, Buccaneers Rugby…
Kilkeel and Newcastle RNLI lifeboat crews respond to the fishing vessel taking on water
#RNLI - Kilkeel RNLI's volunteer lifeboat crew launched at 9.20am yesterday morning (Monday 14 March) to go the aid of a fishing vessel rapidly taking in water about 25 miles southeast of Kilkeel, Co Down. The vessel was in a…
The Wexford  Sinfonia will play the ‘Heroes of the Helen Blake’ Suite
An Irish amateur orchestra is set to realise their dream of performing on the stage of the National Concert Hall in Dublin when they play a specially composed piece of music commemorating the Helen Blake maritime tragedy where nine lifeboat…
Rosslare Harbour RNLI lifeboat
Two fishermen have been brought to safety this afternoon by the RNLI after they got into difficulty off the Wexford coast. Wexford RNLI was requested to launch their inshore lifeboat at 12.08pm following a report that a fishing vessel with…
Sandymount beach in Dublin where walkers were rescued today by an inshore RNLI boat from Dun Laoghaire
Two walkers were rescued by the RNLI inshore lifeboat from Dun Laoghaire shortly after midday today when the rising tide surrounded them half a mile from shore off Sandymount. The pair raised the alarm by mobile phone to the Irish…
Marine Notice On Legal Requirements For Lifejackets & Buoyancy Aids
#WaterSafety - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport addresses pleasure and recreational craft owners, masters and users with a brief summary of the legal requirements in relation to the wearing and carrying of lifejackets…
Portaferry Lifeboat Rescues Stranded Kayakers In Strangford Lough
#RNLI - The volunteer lifeboat crew at Portaferry RNLI launched yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 8 March) to the aid of two kayakers stranded on an island in Strangford Lough. The two men were on a camping trip to Boretree Island, just…
Rescue 115, the Sligo-based Irish Coast Guard Sikorsky S-92
#Coastguard - Shannon's Irish Coast Guard helicopter flew to the rescue of a man who survived a 21-metre fall off a sea cliff in West Cork yesterday morning (Monday 7 March). According to the Irish Examiner, Rescue 115 was tasked…
Engines running and ready to launch: RNLI volunteers Simon Oldfield, John Petrie, Jonathan Kelso, Davy Eccles, Carmen Van Der Schyff, coxswain Philip McNamara and Nicky Butler undergoing vital training at the weekend
#RNLI - On Sunday 6 March 2016, Donaghadee RNLI coxswain Philip McNamara and the volunteer lifeboat crew mustered for the latest in a series of vital fortnightly sea training exercises to ensure they are prepared for the challenges of the…
Rosslare RNLI tow 22 metre fishing vessel in the early hours of Sunday morning
Lifeboat crew with Rosslare RNLI had an early morning callout today to a 22–metre fishing vessel which had suffered engine failure near Tuskar Rock lighthouse. The lifeboat pagers went off at 5.30am with the lifeboat launching a short time later.…
Bridge at Oranmore
#Galway - Galway Bay FM reports on a new volunteer search and rescue unit set up near the city weeks after community efforts to locate missing NUI Galway student Michael Bulger. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Bulger's body was recovered…
Marine Notice: Deployment Of Fish Tag Detectors In Galway Bay
#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advises that Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) and SmartBay Ireland will be carrying out the deployment of an underwater array of fish tag detectors in Galway…

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.