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AfloatDigi 2018 CHMarine SafetySection

Search & Rescue, Water Safety - News from the Marine Safety Agencies
Marine Notice: Construction Works At Westcove Harbour
#MarineNotice - Further to Marine Notice No 13 of 2014 from January this year, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has been advised that construction works were scheduled to commence at Westcove Harbour in Co Kerry from yesterday 7…
Clifden RNLI Now Trialling All-Weather Lifeboat
#RNLI - Clifden RNLI has put an all-weather lifeboat on service for a trial period, more than a year after the move was confirmed.  The Pride and Spirit has come from the existing RNLI fleet and will be on trial…
Skerries Lifeboat Searches For 'Missing' Fisherman
#RNLI - Volunteers with Skerries RNLI launched their Atlantic 85 lifeboat Louis Simson shortly after 8.30pm on Tuesday evening (5 August) after a member of the public called Dublin Coast Guard regarding a man seen launching a small motor boat…
Bundoran Lifeboat Launched To Family Trapped On Rocks
#RNLI - The volunteer crew of the Bundoran RNLI lifeboat were paged by Malin Head Coastguard yesterday afternoon (Wednesday 6 August) to a family of four who were trapped on rocks near Tullan Strand at the Co Donegal town. A…
Lifeguards Rescued 413 Swimmers Last Month
#watersafety – The CEO of Irish Water Safety, John leech is urging the public to use the Local Authority manned lifeguarded bathing places to ensure there are no more swimming tragedies this summer. Please take heed of advice given by…
Dog Tweets Thanks To Rescuers After Perilous Atlantic Cliff Fall
#TwitterDog - A little dog who survived a 90-metre fall into the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday 3 August has thanked his rescuers - via his own Twitter account. TheJournal.ie has much more on the story of Vimes the dog, who…
Lucky Escape For Three Men In A Boat Thanks To Donaghadee RNLI
#RNLI - Three young men had a lucky escape on Sunday evening (3 August) when their small boat began sinking on a pleasure trip from Ballywalter to Donaghadee. The Irish Coast Guard was alerted to the emergency by one of…
Baltimore Lifeboat Launches To Overturned Jetski
#RNLI - Bundoran RNLI launched to an overturned jetski on Saturday afternoon (2 August). Just after 4pm, the volunteer lifeboat crew was paged by Malin Head Coast Guard to four people in the water off Murvagh Beach following the capsize…
Lough Derg Lifeboat Locates Three Missing On Holy Island Trip
#RNLI - Lough Derg RNLI located three people reported overdue on Friday evening (1 August) after an excursion to Holy Island on Lough Derg. At 7.20pm on Friday, Valentia Coast Guard requested the Lough Derg lifeboat to launch to locate three people…
West Cork Kayakers Rescue Lough Hyne Swimmer
#Rescue - The Southern Star reports on the rescue of a swimmer in Lough Hyne by two passing kayakers last Sunday (27 July). West Cork Kayaking Club members Declan McCarthy and David Sprott were within earshot of the man's call…
RTÉ's Nationwide To Feature Ballycotton's Lifeboat 'Mary Stanford'
#RNLI - Ballycotton is in the news again, this time in a feature on RTÉ One's Nationwide next Wednesday 6 August exploring the East Cork town's efforts to bring home their former lifeboat Mary Stanford. As previously reported on Afloat.ie,…
Bangor Lifeboat Saves Children From Inflatable Raft
#RNLI - Bangor RNLI launched on Wednesday evening (30 July) to rescue five children who were being swept out to sea on an inflatable raft. Belfast Coastguard requested the Bangor lifeboat to proceed at utmost speed to the shore at…
Ballycotton Lifeboat Rescues Four Teenage Canoeists
#RNLI - Ballycotton RNLI has rescued four teenagers who got into difficulty yesterday evening (Thursday 31 July) when out on a canoeing venture. The volunteer crew was alerted shortly after 8pm and requested to go to the aid of four…
Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat Called Out Twice in Twenty Minutes
#lifeboat – Cork Harbour lifeboat volunteers were paged at 5.35pm yesterday afternoon to reports of a disabled boat with two persons on board between Fennels bay and Weavers point. The casualty vessel had deployed an anchor, but were dragging towards the…
Lough Derg Lifeboat Launch For Two People & A Dog
#rnli – Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat launched to assist two people and their dog on board a 32ft cruiser, aground on Sandy Bottom in Dromineer Bay last night. At 8.05pm on Thursday evening, July 31, Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough…
Castletownbere RNLI Lifeboat Help Injured Couple After Yacht Gets Into Difficulty Off Bere Island
#rnli – Lifeboat crew with Castletownbere RNLI launched yesterday (30 July 2014) to help a couple who had become injured when the 40 ft yacht they were sailing on, at Lawrence Cove, got into difficultly. On arriving at the scene,…

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.