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AfloatDigi 2018 CHMarine SafetySection

Search & Rescue, Water Safety - News from the Marine Safety Agencies
The golf buggy fell down the short cliff from the golf course on Dungarvan Bay on Wednesday
#Rescue - Irish Coast Guard units from Tramore and Bonmahon were dispatched earlier this week after two people went over a cliff at Dungarvan’s GolfCoast golf links. The local coastguard helicopter Rescue 117 also joined the operation on Wednesday (2 August)…
Baltimore RNLI's all-weather lifeboat
#RNLI - In the first of two incidents yesterday morning (Thursday 3 August), Baltimore RNLI launched to reports of a vessel adrift in Crookhaven Harbour. The vessel, a 4m Boston Whaler powerboat, had broken from its mooring in strong winds…
Donaghdee Lifeboat
Volunteers from Donaghadee and Bangor RNLI were requested to launch their lifeboats this evening (Thursday 3 August) after a group of dinghy sailors got into difficulty off the County Down coast. The inshore lifeboat from Bangor and the all-weather lifeboat…
Dun Laoghaire Lifeboat on Dublin Bay, it's one of the busiest RNLI boats in the country
The RNLI and the Irish Coast Guard are issuing a joint call this Bank Holiday weekend urging people to be vigilant and to take care on the water and along the coastline. It comes as both organisations note that August…
Courtmacsherry RNLI’s all weather lifeboat pictured off Roches Point
#RNLI - Courtmacsherry RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat was called out at 4.20pm yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 1 August) to go to the aid of a 40ft pleasure fishing boat with mechanical failure 15 miles off the Seven Heads in West Cork. The…
Rosslare Harbour RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat
#RNLI - Rosslare Harbour RNLI was involved in an extensive search off the Wexford coast yesterday (Tuesday 1 August) after a swimmer was reported to have been swept out to sea. The alarm was raised shortly after 3pm by a…
Baltimore RNLI's inshore lifeboat
#RNLI - Baltimore RNLI completed a busy weekend when the inshore lifeboat was launched on Sunday afternoon (30 July) to a report of an upturned vessel off Heir Island. The volunteer lifeboat launched at 2.42pm arrived on scene to find…
The 27ft yacht had run aground on a mudbank in Duncannon Harbour
Fethard RNLI rescued two people after their yacht ran aground off the Wexford coast yesterday evening. The volunteer lifeboat crew was requested to launch their inshore lifeboat shortly after 5pm following a report from the Irish Coast Guard that a…
The volunteer lifeboat crew was first requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat shortly after 9am this morning
Rosslare Harbour RNLI has responded to two call outs off the Wexford coast today. The volunteer lifeboat crew was first requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat shortly after 9am this morning following a request from the Irish Coast Guard to…
Coxswain Ken Cashman as he brings the stricken boat alongside the pontoon at Courtmacsherry Pier
The Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat was called out at 11.25 am this morning Sunday to go to the immediate aid of a 14–foot Pleasure boat off Harbour View in Courtmacsherry Bay. The alert was raised from the shore as the boat…
Baltimore Lifeboat Responds To Drascombe Lugger Mayday
#RNLI - Just hours after launching to an alarm from a yacht’s emergency beacon on Friday morning (28 July), Baltimore RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat was back in action responding to a Mayday from a Drascombe Lugger taking on water in Schull Harbour.…
Wicklow RNLI’s inshore lifeboat launches to the incident at Silver Strand yesterday afternoon
#Rescue - A mother and her two children were rescued from a sea cave at Silver Strand yesterday afternoon (Saturday 29 July) in a joint operation between Wicklow RNLI and the Irish Coast Guard. The two children had got into…
The yacht was taken under tow and brought safely back to Ballycastle in an operation lasting four hours
Red Bay RNLI in County Antrim has rescued two men this afternoon (Friday 28 July) after their 10m yacht encountered steering problems off Rathlin Island. The volunteer crew launched their all-weather lifeboat at 9.50am following a request from Belfast Coastguard…
Baltimore RNLI's all-weather lifeboat
#RNLI - Baltimore RNLI launched this morning (Friday 28 July) to locate a vessel sending an alarm from their positioning beacon off the coast of West Cork. The Irish Coast Guard requested the launch just before 10am after it had…
Lough Derg RNLI’s inshore lifeboat launches to the report of a stranded cruiser near Hare Island
#RNLI - Lough Derg RNLI’s volunteers were surprised to find a man whose cruiser had grounded near Hare Island had spent the night alone stranded in the lake as he was reluctant to call for help. Valentia Coast Guard requested…
Newcastle RNLI assisting the grounded yacht at Ardglass Marina in the early hours of Wednesday morning
#RNLI - Newcastle RNLI volunteer crews were woken by their pagers at 3.34am yesterday morning (Wednesday 26 July) after a lone yachtsman ran aground at the mouth of Ardglass Marina in Co Down. The all-weather lifeboat Eleanor and Bryant Girling…

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.