Aquickresponsecanhelp averttragedyonourwaters
A RESPECT THE WATER CAMPAIGN BY THE RNLI AND COAST GUARD IS UNDER WAY AS FIGURES SHOW AUGUST IS ONE OF THE BUSIEST MONTHS OF YEAR FOR CALL-OUTS, WRITES
A QUICK response is vital when it comes to averting a tragedy on our water according to local RNLI volunteer Tommy Dover.
Speaking following the launch of the joint Irish Coast Guard and RNLI ‘Respect the Water’ campaign, Tommy said that while the water and beautiful coastline is there to be enjoyed, it is important to remain vigilant at all times.
The launch of the Respect the Water campaign is especially timely with both the RNLI and the Coast Guard noting that August was the busiest month for coastal recreational incidents last year. Last August alone, Irish lifeboat crews responded 217 times to emergencies at sea.
With the summer holidays in full swing, it has been a busy time for the search and rescue agencies and in the past couple of weeks the Wicklow RNLI have rescued sailors and swimmers in a spate of separate incidents.
Tommy said that the safety campaign is all about teaching people to respect the water. ‘People will always get into trouble on the water but we want people to respect the water. We want to educate them on how to be safe when swimming, sailing, rowing or just enjoying the water.
‘People often have a tendency to go into the water after people even if they aren’t a good swimmer themselves and what we would recommend if someone is in difficulty is to contact us immediately and to throw in something like a life buoy.
‘Making a speedy emergency distress call is vital when it comes to a rescue.’
Tommy also said that swimmers and sailors, both professional and pleasure, should always ensure they have a way of contacting the RNLI or the Coast Guard.
‘We would also be stressing to people to ensure that they have coverage on their phones. Some of the beaches in Wicklow haven’t the best of coverage so it’s important to keep an eye on this.
‘If you are on a boat or yacht, coverage will also be patchy or even non-existent so people should be trained to use the marine VHF radio. Sailing clubs and other organisations run courses in this and it’s easy to use once you know how.
‘On Bank Holiday Monday night, the two sailors who were in difficulty off the Wicklow coast were able to contact the Coast Guard using the Marine VHF radio who in turned contacted us so we were able to launch quickly.
‘All these things make a big difference when time is of the essence.
‘We would always encourage people to ring us at the first sign that they spot something in the water. Sometimes people say they didn’t want to ring in case it was driftwood or whatever floating in the water but we would much rather be called out if people have a genuine concern and find driftwood rather than to have been called out too late and meet with a fatality.
‘People should always swim between the flags if there is a lifeguard on duty and take note of the tides. Sometimes even the strongest of swimmers can get caught out with tidal patterns and a couple of years ago we had a swimmer that was swept out to sea by the current after the tides changes.
‘ Things are always going to happen but we want to try keep them to a minimum as well and also to have a successful rescue. People should contact the emergency services as soon as they spot someone in danger. The resources are there and a very quick response is vital.
While summer air tempera- turest may be warm, Irish waters rarelyr exceed 15C, making them cold enough year-round to trigger cold water shock which causes the instinctive reaction to gasp and swim hard, which canc quickly lead to drowning.
Tommy said that swimmers should try regain control of their breathing as soon as possibles if they fall into cold water.
‘If you fall into cold water, fightf your instincts to swim hard or thrash about as this could lead to drowning. Instead, relax and float on your back, keeping your airway clear, for around 60-90 seconds. This willw allow the effects of cold water shock to pass so you can regain control of your breathing and then swim to safety or call for help.’
The Irish Coast Guard has two simple messages, to ‘Stay Back, Stay High, Stay Dry’ near exposed parts of the coastline and to ‘Stay Afloat – Stay in Contact’ when at sea.
Gerard O’Flynn, Irish Coast Guard Operations Manager said: ‘While it is important that everyone going afloat wears a lifejacket, it is equally important that every user ensures their lifejackets are regularly serviced.
‘Lifejackets are not fool proof and users should always ensure that they have familiarised themselves on their proper operation and that they are in date for servicing. Anyone going afloat should also ensure they have a means of raising the alarm should they need to and that they ensure someone ashore is aware of their trip and estimated time of return.
‘Away from the sea, we want everyone to exercise caution when walking on exposed cliffs and piers. Pets should be always kept on a leash and walkers should avoid areas which they are not familiar with. Our message is to stay back, stay high, stay dry.’