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AfloatDigi 2018 CHMarine SafetySection

Search & Rescue, Water Safety - News from the Marine Safety Agencies
Castletownbere Lifeboat to Open New West Cork Station
Castletownbere RNLI in west Cork will officially open its new lifeboat station on Saturday, 18 May. Afloat correspondent Tom MacSweeney will declare the new lifeboat building open at a special ceremony beginning at 2.30pm which will include a service of…
Marine Notice: Kinsale Pier Extension
#MarineNotice - Cork County Council is due to commence a 15-metre extension of the Town Pier in Kinsale in Co Cork. The works are due to take place from this week till early December 2013, and will comprise the excavation…
Coastguard Could Lead Astronaut Rescues In Irish Waters
#Coastguard - The Irish Coast Guard may lead open-sea searches for American space bosses when manned space flights resume, according to the Irish Examiner. Coastguard chiefs have reportedly been in informal discussions with a senior official from Nasa regarding search…
Koda The Husky Rescued By Quick-Thinking RNLI Crew
#RNLI - Two volunteer crew members from Kinsale RNLI came to the rescue of a husky dog who had a dramatic fall off a cliff near the Co Cork village recently. Koda, a pedigree husky, was inspecting the coastline around…
Fishing Vessel Owners Plead Guilty to Failing to Ensure Crew Held Appropriate Safety Certs
During a fishing trip in the Irish Sea on 27th January 2012, the United Kingdom registered fishing vessel Zenith, port letters B470 was hauling nets, when Andrius Kalinda (now known to be Nikolai Nedoliz) fell into the sea and was…
Courtmacsherry RNLI Station Gets Bank Holiday Presidential Visit
#rnli – President Michael D. Higgins, paid a special call to Courtmacsherry RNLI lifeboat station during an official visit to the Cork harbour village over the bank holiday weekend.  The President was accompanied by his wife Sabina and the couple…
Marine Notice: Umbilical Installation At Corrib Gas Field
#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advises that umbilical installation and associated works between the Corrib Gas Field and the mainland and Broad Haven Bay in Co Mayo will commence tomorrow…
Portaferry RNLI Seeks New Crew While NI Schoolkids 'Hit The Surf'
#RNLI - Portaferry RNLI is looking for new volunteer crew members to join its search and rescue service in Co Down. The station currently has 17 lifeboat and two shore crew to cover its inshore service on Strangford Lough but…
Lifeboats Roundup: Kilrush On Alert, President To Visit Courtmacsherry
#RNLI - Kilrush RNLI lifeboat station was put on standby on Monday 29 April for an aircraft with engine trouble, and later called to a person who drove into the water. At 2pm on Monday the Irish Coast Guard at Shannon…
Marine Notice: Hydrographic Survey Off South Coast Till 4 June
#MarineNotice - The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) has issued a Marine Notice advising that a hydrographic and geophysical survey operation is taking place off the south coast till 4 June. The RV Celtic Voyager (Call sign EIQN)…
Search For Missing Dutch Sailing Ship Moves To Norway
The Norwegian coastguard have taken over the hunt for a missing Dutch sailing ship which has vanished with a crew of three on board. The Warnow was apparently heading for Norway from Scotland and should have arrived on April 22…
Irish Water Safety Warn of Bank Holiday Drowning Risks
There are 140 drownings in Ireland every year - that's more than five per fortnight. As we approach the May Bank Holiday weekend, water safety should be prioritised by anyone coming close to coastline or inland waterways and when pursuing…
Lough Derg RNLI Treasurer Hands Over Reins
#RNLI - Lough Derg RNLI in Tipperary had a celebration for Nick Theato earlier this month as he handed over the role of treasurer to Caleb Clarke. On Thursday 14 April, Theato brought his wife Mary and three of his…
Three Overdue Divers Brought to Safety By Kilmore Quay Lifeboat
Three divers were brought to safety this afternoon after they lost contact with their dive boat and were reported overdue.  The men were brought to safety by volunteer lifeboat crew with Kilmore Quay RNLI. The divers were over an hour…
Wearing a Lifejacket. What is the Law in Ireland?
A life-jacket is a Personal Flotation Devices (PFD's) and is a statutory requirement for pleasure craft in Ireland.  There must be suitable PFDs for everyone on board any pleasure craft and must be worn in the following situations: 1.      By anyone…
Kerry Calls Emergency Workers For 'Heroes Week' This June
#Rescue - Emergency workers with Irish heritage from all over the world are being invited to celebrate Heroes Week in Tralee this June. As part of The Gathering 2013 initiative, the chiefs of Co Kerry's emergency services will welcome first…

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.