Category Archives: Callouts

EPIRB adrift – 5th October 2012

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Shortly after 18:00 this evening, the Coast Guard’s Maritime Operations Centre received a report of an Emergency Position Indicator Radio Beacon (EPIRB) adrift near Skerries. A member of the public had spotted and fortunately retrieved the EPIRB drifting at the water’s edge on the Skerries coast and immediately notified the Coast Guard.

These EPIRBS are carried on vessels as a means of alerting the Coast Guard should the vessel be in distress. For useful advice and information on EPIRBS, visit the Safety on the Water website by clicking here. The Department’s Marine Notice #8 of 2006 also has useful guidance on the correct operation of EPIRBS.

Thankfully, this was an old and correctly deactivated EPIRB and no false distress alert was transmitted. The Coast Guard did manage to identify and contact the EPIRB’s owner; a local fisherman who confirmed that the decommissioned EPIRB had been reported stolen some months previously. The Skerries Coast Guard team successfully repatriated the EPIRB with its owner.

Incident #13 of 2012

Skerries Coast Guard – a voluntary rescue unit of the Irish Coast Guard.

Boat strikes rocks near Skerries – 21st September 2012

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Rescue of fishing boat at Skerries

Shortly after 10:00 this morning the Skerries Coast Guard team were paged by the Coast Guard’s operations centre to an incident near Skerries harbour. The Coast Guard has received reports that a small lobster fishing boat with two persons on board was in difficulty just north of the harbour. The Coast Guard’s Dublin based Sikorsky S61N helicopter was already airborne and was immediately diverted to the scene.

The Skerries Coast Guard team arrived on scene within minutes and quickly located the fishing vessel which appeared to have lost all power and was being driven against rocky shores by the strong NE winds. The Coast Guard helicopter was also quickly on scene. After several attempts, the Skerries lifeboat managed to secure a tow line to the stricken fishing vessel and take it under tow to the safety of the nearby harbour where the vessels could be inspected for any hull damage sustained. Thankfully both persons on board the rescued vessel were unharmed.

Incident # 12 of 2012

Remember – if you spot someone in difficulty or even think that someone may be in difficulty, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the COAST GUARD. Your call could save their life.

Skerries Coast Guard – a voluntary rescue unit of the Irish Coast Guard.

Report of red flare – 23rd August 2012

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Shortly before 23:00 this evening, the Skerries Coast Guard team were tasked to investigate public reports of a red distress flare sighted off the Balbriggan/Gormonston coast. A concerned member of the public in Skerries had sighted the red flare and reported it to the Coast Guard.

The Skerries Coast Guard team immediately conducted a detailed search of the coastline and nothing unusual was found, no further flares were sighted. Visibility in the area was very good with clear skies.

Incident #11 of 2012

Skerries Coast Guard – a voluntary rescue unit of the Irish Coast Guard. 

Report of drifting object – 18th August 2012

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Shortly after 11:00 this morning the Skerries Coast Guard team were tasked to investigate a report of a possible upturned boat adrift North of Balbriggan. A member of the public had spotted the object adrift near Gormonston and contacted the Coast Guard on 999.

The Skerries Coast Guard team were on scene at Gormonston within minutes and quickly located the object. After observing for a short while, the team concluded the object was not a boat and no further action was required.

Incident # 10 of 2012

Skerries Coast Guard – a voluntary rescue unit of the Irish Coast Guard.