Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

AfloatDigi 2018 CHMarine SafetySection

Search & Rescue, Water Safety - News from the Marine Safety Agencies
Marine Notice: Care And Use Of EPIRBs And Lifejackets
#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notices from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) remind all mariners of the importance of safety at sea - both in seeking help and staying safe till help arrives. Marine Notice No 38…
Kilmore Quay & Wicklow RNLI In Separate East Coast Assists
#RNLI - Kilmore Quay RNLI has assisted a fisherman after his boat got into difficulty off the Wexford coast, while Wicklow RNLI attended to a fishing boat in trouble south of Wicklow Harbour. The Kilmore Quay all-weather lifeboat was requested…
80% of Drownings Occur Close to Home
#drownings – Irish Water Safety is appealing to the public to swim at Lifeguarded waterways and to stay within their depth when swimming at any other bathing areas. Drownings often happen quickly and silently with 80% of drownings occurring close to…
Rugby Star's Cousin Knocked Out In Diving Accident
#WaterSafety - Herald.ie reports that a young cousin of rugby international Jonny Sexton was "shocked but recovering well" after she was knocked out in a diving accident last week. Fourteen-year-old Kelly Sexton was diving with friends off a 50-foot ledge…
Wicklow RNLI Tows Yacht With Three To Safety
#RNLI - A drifting yacht with three people on board was towed to safety by Wicklow RNLI on Friday morning (26 July). SEE VIDEO BELOW The volunteer lifeboat crew was alerted by pager shortly before 8am after the Irish Coast…
Marine Notice: Uncharted Rock at Dingle Harbour, Celtic Sea Pipeline Survey
#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advises of a previously uncharted rock outside the approaches to Dingle's Fishery Harbour Centre. The rocky outcrop or shoal was identified by the Geological Survey…
Courtown & Rosslare RNLI In Two Separate Call-Outs Off North Wexford Coast
#RNLI - The volunteer lifeboat crew of the Courtown lifeboat launched last Wednesday evening (24 July) to a report of a small fishing boat that was overdue on its time to return to Cahore Pier. The Courtown RNLI lifeboat, Cahore…
Tramore RNLI Lifeboat Recover Three men from Homemade Raft
#rnli – Lifeboat crew with Tramore RNLI were called out this weekend when a member of the public raised the alarm after seeing three men out at sea on a homemade raft without lifejackets. On arriving at the scene with…
Two Bodies Recovered, Search Called Off for Missing Isle of Man Anglers
#coastguard – Liverpool MRCC has called off the search for two missing anglers off the Isle of Man coast after two bodies were recovered from the sea to the North of the island this afternoon. Liverpool MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination…
Irish Coast Guard To Be Merged With Marine Survey Office
#Coastguard - The Irish Coast Guard is to be merged with the Marine Survey Office, as The Irish Times reports. Cabinet approval has been granted for Transport Minister Leo Varadkar's reorganisation plans, which will see the creation of a new…
Irish Sea Fog Hampers Search for Missing Anglers off Isle of Man
#SAR – The search for two missing anglers off the Isle of Man coast continues today. Liverpool Coastguard has been working with the Isle of Man Coastguard to find two missing anglers. Their upturned dinghy was found five miles off the…
Personal Locator Beacon Saves Solo RIB Skipper Thrown From Boat
#coastguard – A man has been rescued nine miles off shore after he was thrown from his vessel and a signal from his personal locator beacon was picked up. At 4.07pm last night Falmouth Coastguard contacted Milford Haven Coastguard about a…
Baltimore RNLI Lifeboat Tows Yacht & Two Sailors to Safety      
#rnli – Baltimore RNLI lifeboat was called today at 6:36pm Friday 26 July to assist a yacht in difficulty west of the Stags Rocks near Baltimore Harbour in West Cork. The 30ft yacht had 2 people on board, a man…
Dinghy Capsize Prompts HM Coastguard Rescue of Five
Two adults and three children have been rescued from the water after their dinghy capsized off Gwbert, in North Wales. Milford Haven Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) received a 999 call just after 11am reporting that a group of people…
Howth RNLI Lifeboat Called Out on Four Calls Including Two Yachts Aground
#rnli – Howth RNLI have had four call outs over the course of Sunday and Monday this week. Three of the calls were to incidents at Malahide with the fourth being local to Balscadden Bay in Howth. At 0820 on…
Castletownbere RNLI Aid In Recovery Of Body From Sea Off Beara Peninsula
#RNLI - The Castletownbere RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew have aided in the recovery of the body of a man from the sea some 2.4km off Travarra on the Beara Peninsula in West Cork. The lifeboat launched at 1.35pm yesterday afternoon…

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.