In Skerries, the RNLI volunteer lifeboat launched 28 times from January to date. This figure is the highest on record for the station, keeping them very busy all year long. As the summer draws to a close, the RNLI promote sea safety message as summer rescue figures show slight drop.
Around the coast of Ireland, RNLI volunteer lifeboat launched 408 times this summer, down from 477 the previous June, July and August. Dun Laoghaire lifeboat was again the busiest lifeboat station with 27 call-outs over the summer. The second busiest was Bangor with 23 calls followed by Crosshaven in Cork with 20 launches. The two RNLI inland stations at Lough Derg and Enniskillen received 31 call-outs in total.
The release of the summer statistics coincides with an RNLI education drive for young people to become more beach-wise and safety conscious when they are on or around the water. A special website has been created (www.rnli.ie/shorething) featuring specialist sea and water safety information and an outline of the work of the RNLI and its volunteer crew members. Specially trained education officers are also visiting schools and speaking to children about water safety, the work of the lifeboats and how the RNLI trains its volunteer lifeboat men and women to save lives at sea. Don’t hesitate to contract the RNLI Head Quarters in Swords if you’d like to talk to someone about arranging an education officer to visit your school.
Commenting on the figures, Kevin Rahill, RNLI Divisional Sea Safety Manager said,
"While it is always difficult to predict trends I would cautiously welcome the slight drop in the number of RNLI lifeboat launches over the summer. Speaking to various volunteers around the country it is clear that the sea safety is slowly getting through. As always there is no room for complacency and it is vital that we continue to promote sea safety with young people and adults who are using the water for leisure and commercial activities”.
Kevin Rahill continued "As a charity the RNLI relies on the generosity of the public and the courage and dedication of our volunteers. Our crews are on-call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in all weathers to help those in difficulty on our waters. We provide our volunteers with the best training and equipment so that they can carry out their lifesaving work as safely and efficiently as possible."
Indeed, the volunteer crew at Skerries recently had some ‘hands on’ training locally when the Drogheda Sub-Aqua club came with their members and participated in a simulated diving accident and subsequent search and rescue operation. The number of people diving, both professionally and for recreation, has increased dramatically over recent years. Dr Seamus Mulholland, Skerries RNLI Honourary Medical Advisor, gave a lesson on what to expect from a medical point of view in such an incident and Thomas Hoey, National Diving Officer for Irish Underwater Council, also gave a talk on diving and diving equipment, what to and what not to look for in a dving related incident. All who took part felt this was an invaluable learning experience and all have agreed to repeat the training regularly
To help people use the sea safely, the RNLI's Sea Safety team offers free and impartial advice. The RNLI top five sea safety tips are:
| - |
Always wear a lifejacket |
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| - |
Check your engine and fuel |
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| - |
Tell others where you are going |
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Carry some means of calling for help (preferably a VHF radio) |
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Keep an eye on weather and tides |
The
following list details the call outs by Skerries R.N.L.I.
since January 2003:
| Date |
Type
of Casualty |
Cause
of Sevice |
Assessment |
|
|
|
|
| 08/09/05 |
Large
Power Boat |
Engine
failure |
Brought
in |
|
|
|
|
| 03/09/05 |
Recovery
of Body |
Recover |
Others
Coped |
|
|
|
|
| 28/08/05 |
Air
Bed |
Thought
to be in trouble |
Brought
in |
|
|
|
|
| 24/08//05 |
Rowing
Boat |
Thought
to be in trouble |
False
alarm |
|
|
|
|
| 30/07/05
|
Sail
Yacht |
Sinking |
Brought
in |
|
|
|
|
| 18/07/05 |
Large
power boat with cabin |
Out
of fuel |
Brought
in |
|
|
|
|
| 12/07/05 |
Inflatable
dinghy no engine |
Adverse
wind |
Others
Coped |
|
|
|
|
| 06/07/05
|
Person
cut off by tide |
Stranded |
False
alarm |
|
|
|
|
| 22/06/05 |
Person
missing |
Missing |
False
alarm |
|
|
|
|
| 20/06/05
|
Small
power boat open |
Thought
to be in trouble |
False
alarm |
|
|
|
|
| 19/06/05 |
Inflatable
dinghy |
Adverse
wind & tide |
Others
Coped |
|
|
|
|
| 16/06/05 |
Sail
Yacht |
Capsize
|
Others
Coped |
|
|
|
|
| 05/17/05 |
Jet
Ski |
Machinery
Fail |
Brought
in |
|
|
|
|
| 04/27/05 |
Large
Power Cabin |
Stranding |
Brought
in |
|
|
|
|
| 04/24/05 |
Bather |
Drowning |
Person
brought in |
|
|
|
|
| 03/31/05 |
Sail
Board |
Adverse
Conditions |
PRS/CRAFT
LD |
|
|
|
|
| 03/04/05 |
Large
Fishing Vessel |
Fouled
Propellor |
Brought
in |
|
|
|
|
| 11/30/04 |
Small
Fishing Vessel |
Fouled
Propellor |
Brought
in |
|
|
|
|
| 11/21/04 |
Sail
Dinghy |
May
be Trouble |
False
Alarm |
|
|
|
|
| 10/05/04 |
Large
Fishing Vessel |
Leak
Swamping |
Others
Coped |
|
|
|
|
| 09/22/04 |
Sail
Board |
May
be Trouble |
False
Alarm |
|
|
|
|
| 08/27/04 |
Canoe |
Overdue |
Escorted
Casualty |
|
|
|
|
| 08/18/04 |
Large
Cabin Power |
Leak
Swamping |
Escorted
Casualty |
|
|
|
|
| 08/07/04 |
Small
Open Power |
Machinery
Fail |
Brought
in |
|
|
|
|
| 08/01/04 |
prs
sandbank |
Stranded |
False
Alarm |
|
|
|
|
| 07/12/04 |
Yaucht
& Aux |
Fouled
Propellor |
Gave
Help |
|
|
|
|
| 07/04/04 |
Yaucht
& Aux |
Macinery
Fail |
Brought
in |
|
|
|
|
| 06/16/04 |
Jet
Ski |
Man
Overboard |
Craft
Landed |
|
|
|
|
| 06/14/04 |
Small
Cabin Power |
Out
of fuel |
Craft
Landed |
|
|
|
|
| 06/14/04 |
Small
Open Power |
May
be Trouble |
False
Alarm |
|
|
|
|
| 05/29/04 |
Air
Bed |
Adverse
Conditions |
Craft
Landed |
|
|
|
|
| 04/19/04 |
Small
Fishing Vessel |
May
be Trouble |
False
Alarm |
|
|
|
|
| 04/18/04 |
Large
Cabin Power |
Macinery
Fail |
Brought
in |
|
|
|
|
| 01/23/04 |
Canoe |
Capsize |
False
Alarm |
|
|
|
|
| 12/29/03 |
Small
Fishing Vessel |
May
be Trouble |
Escorted
Casualty |
|
|
|
|
| 12/29/03 |
Person
Missing |
Missing |
False
Alarm |
|
|
|
|
| 11/19/03 |
Rowing
Boat |
Abandoned |
Craft
Landed |
|
|
|
|
| 09/03/03 |
Person |
Drowning |
Others
coped |
|
|
|
|
| 09/03/03 |
Distress
Signal |
May
be Trouble |
False
Alarm |
|
|
|
|
| 08/10/03 |
Distress
Signal |
May
be Trouble |
False
Alarm |
|
|
|
|
| 08/09/03 |
Person
on Island |
Cut
Off |
False
Alarm |
|
|
|
|
| 07/19/03 |
Distress
Signal |
May
be Trouble |
False
Alarm |
|
|
|
|
| 06/09/03 |
Small
Cabin Power |
Drags
Anchor |
Craft
Landed |
|
|
|
|
| 06/05/03 |
Large
Fishing Vessel |
Stranding |
Others
Coped |
|
|
|
|
| 06/02/03 |
Large
Open Power |
Fouled
Propellor |
Brought
in |
|
|
|
|
| 05/31/03 |
Small
Open Power |
Macinery
Fail |
Brought
in |
|
|
|
|
| 05/25/03 |
Tender
Pleas |
Abandoned |
Craft
Landed |
|
|
|
|
| 04/30/03 |
Vessel
NES |
Overdue |
False
Alarm |
|
|
|
|
| 04/18/03 |
Person
Missing |
Missing |
Others
Coped |
|
|
|
|
| 03/29/03 |
Object
NES |
NES |
Gave
Help |
|
|
|
|
| 03/15/03 |
Jet
Ski |
Macinery
Fail |
P/C
Brought in |
|
|
|
|
| 02/01/03 |
Distress
Signal |
May
be trouble |
False
Alarm |
|
