Warning on dangers of inflatable beach toys as children drift out to sea

PARENTS were warned yesterday not to allow their children to use inflatable beach toys after rescue services responded to almost 50 calls in the past week involving children drifting out to sea on the “killer” toys.

As families take to the beaches this weekend, Irish Water Safety chief executive John Leech said: “These toys are fine in Mediterranean waters but there is no place for them on Irish beaches.

“We have strong tidal streams and winds that are constantly changing so they could get caught unawares.

“This happens especially on the east cost, where prevailing winds are westerly, so children get carried away from the shore instead of towards it,” Mr Leech said.

“Often parents or siblings go out to rescue them and they also get into trouble, and this is what leads to double or triple tragedies in the same family.”

Anyone planning to go to the beach or take part in water sports this weekend is also being warned to be as careful about drinking and diving as they are about drink-driving. Alcohol is involved in about 60% of drowning accidents in Ireland and Mr Leech warned: “If you drink, then you will drown.

“Our advice would be to go and surf, kite-surf, sail or whatever you are doing, and when you have finished it, then go and have a drink but never ever drink before playing water sports.”

In the last 24 hours the Coast Guard reported that up to a dozen people had to rescued from Irish shores.

On Thursday a Coast Guard helicopter and three lifeboats were involved in a series of rescues on the south and west coasts.

Seven swimmers were rescued after getting into difficulty in Kilkee, Co Clare and Derrynane, Co Kerry.

Three crew members of a yacht which later capsized in Derrynane Bay were taken ashore by the local lifeboat.

Other rescue operations were mounted in Galway Bay, Valentia in Co Kerry and Courtmacsherry in Co Cork, where fishing vessels and boats capsized or went adrift.

Mr Leech said that while there are encouraging signs that deaths from swimming accidents are dropping, there is no room for complacency.

“There has been a decrease in the number of call-outs by coast guards and the level of drownings is at its lowest for 40 years.

“But we still have a long way to go and there is no room for complacency,” he said.

Life jackets are essential and are required by law. If going out in a boat, canoeing, windsurfing, jet-skiing, fishing, rowing, sailing or just taking a trip, an approved, properly-serviced personal flotation device is essential.

Mr Leech said more lives could be saved if people just wore a life jacket: “There is still an attitude that putting on a life jacket will only prolong the agony of drowning. But it does give the rescue services a greater chance of being able to save you.

“We are still fighting a battle to change people’s attitudes.”