RNLI and Coast Guard brace for busy May bank holiday

The Courtmacsherry RNLI crew on callout on Sunday.

The RNLI and Coast Guard are planning a major water safety blitz ahead of the May bank holiday after one of their busiest weekends of the year.

Emergency services recovered one body from a blowhole after a cliff-fall tragedy, the crew of Rescue 117 airlifted six people to safety from the base of cliffs, and the RNLI brought several people to safety during a string of incidents off the Cork coast alone since Friday. 

The marine rescue services responded to dozens of other incidents around the country, as people flocked to the coast.

And with lockdown restrictions easing, the agencies are bracing for a busy May bank holiday.

Coast Guard head of operations Gerard O’Flynn said there has been a steady trend upwards in the number of Irish Coast Guard co-ordination incidents in recent years.

The Coast Guard has been involved in 705 incidents so far this year compared to 528 for the same period in 2020. It has dealt with 209 incidents already this month, on par with the April figures for 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Mr O'Flynn appealed to people engaging in watersports or coastal activities to exercise caution.

“Just because you have clear skies and relatively warm temperatures doesn’t mean it’s necessarily safe to go swimming, or to go on coastal activity or walks,” he said.

“I would urge everybody engaging in such activity to check the tides, the weather forecast, and observe what’s going on in the environment around them — is the beach not normally as I would expect it.

“I would encourage people to take responsibility for their own safety and not to engage in this activity on their own and to consider if it’s safe to engage in the activity you’re planning to engage in.” 

RNLI crews were launched 21 times over the weekend.

Skerries RNLI rescued five children and four adults in two separate incidents — one on Saturday evening and one on Sunday morning.

Ballycotton RNLI launched to a fishing vessel with engine trouble south of Cork harbour, and while en route back to base was alerted to a pleasure boat with engine trouble in Cobh.

Ballycotton RNLI bringing a boat with engine failure to safety over the weekend.

Lough Derg RNLI assisted two people on a 20ft motorboat with engine failure south of the Scilly Islands, while Courtmacsherry had three callouts over the weekend - to reports of a surfer in difficulties off Garrylucas Beach, to a swimmer in Broadstrand on Friday evening and to four people in difficulties off Garretstown strand.

Howth RNLI helped Rescue 116 in the search for a kite-surfer off Sutton Strand in North Dublin and Red Bay RNLI rescued three people after their fishing boat became grounded on rocks near Glenarm.

Mr O’Flynn said all the indications suggest that this summer “will be more challenging” with Covid restrictions limiting recreational options, and people opting to head to the coast.

“We have a world-class search and rescue service. The bottom line is that if you see somebody in trouble, or even if you think you see somebody in trouble, dial 999 and ask for the Coast Guard,” he said.

The RNLI and the Irish Coast Guard were involved in the publication last week of the Be Summer Ready resource, which is available at the campaigns section on www.gov.ie, and they are also involved in the www.safetyonthewater.ie initiative.