Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

AfloatDigi 2018 CHMarine SafetySection

Search & Rescue, Water Safety - News from the Marine Safety Agencies
File image of the Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 115
The Irish Times reports that a 35-year-old man was airlifted to hospital with serious spinal injuries after a diving incident in Co Cork yesterday afternoon (Monday 1 June). It’s understood that the man was diving from rocks near Nohoval Cove,…
Arklow’s all-weather lifeboat escorts a kayaker to safety
Arklow RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew assisted two kayakers who got into difficulty on a trip to Arklow Bank Wind Park on Saturday afternoon (30 May). The all-weather lifeboat, under coxswain Ned Dillon and crew Brendan Dillon, Geoff Kearnes, Eddie McElheron,…
Bangor lifeboat crew at Helen’s Bay beach
Bangor RNLI is appealing to get in touch with the family of a teenage paddle boarder rescued at the weekend after he was blown out into Belfast Lough. The volunteer lifeboat crew were tasked on Friday afternoon (29 May) after…
The RIB found beached in Killiney on Thursday morning
On the same day that Dun Laoghaire Coast Guard assisted the local RNLI in aiding a boat in distress in Dublin Bay, the crew were also takes to investigate a mystery RIB on Killiney Beach. It was quickly confirmed with…
RNLI Issues Important Safety Advice In Northern Ireland
The RNLI has urged the Northern Ireland public to exercise caution when visiting the coast and be aware of the dangers while lifeguards are currently not deployed on the region’s beaches. Rollout of the normal seasonal lifeguard service was halted…
The RNLI lineout at Croke Park to promote water safety with the GAA
The life-saving partnership between the GAA and the search and rescue charity, the RNLI, is gearing up this bank holiday weekend to help save lives. The two organisations have been working together in communities throughout Ireland to share water safety…
Kilrush RNLI’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat
Kilrush RNLI’s inshore lifeboat aided in the rescue of a child swept out to sea on an inflatable lilo. The incident yesterday afternoon (Thursday 28 May) occurred shortly after 3pm off Beal Strand on the Kerry shore of the Shannon…
RNLI Clifden's Atlantic 85 'Joyce King' en-route from Clifden to Renvyle
Both Clifden RNLI lifeboats were launched to reports of a young child that had been swept out to sea on his surfboard while at the beach with his family in Renvyle shortly after 4.30 pm yesterday. The offshore wind conditions…
“Water
As the risk of drowning increases around warm weather bank holiday weekends, Water Safety Ireland is appealing to the public to adhere to the following guidelines during this phase of Government’s Roadmap for Reopening Society.  If you really must visit…
The Dragon capsule atop Falcon 9 that will take astronauts to the ISS in the first commercial spaceflight with humans
The Irish Coast Guard was on standby for last night’s planned SpaceX launch, which was scrubbed at the final hour due to poor weather conditions. The Falcon 9 rocket had been due to lift off from Kennedy Space Centre in…
Lifeguard flags are currently absent from many UK beaches as the RNLI paused the rollout of its seasonal service
The chief executive of the RNLI has said England’s lifting of coronavirus restrictions has put the lifesaving charity “in an impossible situation”. It comes after a Bank Holiday weekend in the UK that saw two people die in separate incidents…
RNLI lifeboat crews from Skerries and (right) Clogherhead arriving on scene at Mornington Beach
RNLI lifeboat crews from Skerries and Clogherhead launched yesterday (Monday 25 May) to retrieve a number of adults and children who had become stranded on rocks near Mornington Beach, east of Drogheda. The lifeboats were launched shortly before 3pm after…
Youghal’s inshore lifeboat launches for the missing person search
Youghal RNLI’s volunteer crew were part of a multi-agency operation yesterday evening (Sunday 24 May) to reports of a missing person in Youghal. The inshore lifeboat launched in good weather on a filling tide at 6.04pm a few minutes after…
The Priests’ Beach in Blackrock, Co Louth
The Irish Mirror reports that two people were rescued from a beach in Co Louth on Saturday afternoon (23 May) after getting into difficulty in the water. Clogherhead RNLI and the Irish Coast Guard were tasked to the scene at…
Norwegian Navy's (HNoMS Thor Heyerdahl which according to the Irish Coast Guard was 109 miles off the south-west coast. The mission coordinated by MRSC Valentia saw the IRCG Shannon Helicopter R115 carry out the Medevac with R117 providing a support Heli Role.
An Irish Coast Guard helicopter successfully completed a long range rescue operation off the south west coast to bring a sick seaman from a Norwegian naval ship to hospital in Cork. The Shannon based Irish Coast Guard Sikorski helicopter, Rescue…
The team pushed hard to reach Portrush this evening with 360km to go
Four Dun Laoghaire-Based 29er sailors have raised more than €7,700 for the RNLI in their virtual cycling challenge. Last weekend, the quartet of Max Goodbody, Nathan van Steenberge, Sam Ledoux and Tim Norwood — along with their coach Thomas Chaix…

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.