Merry Christmas & Happy New Year !

Posted on by

The crew of Skerries Coast Guard would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. A sincere thank you to all those who have supported our many rescues, searches, training and water safety events during 2015. This year has proved to have been one of our busiest in recent years. The Skerries Coast Guard crew will all continue be on call throughout the Christmas period, ready to respond should any incidents arise.

We would appeal to the public to remain vigilant over the Christmas and New Year and if you spot someone in difficulty dial 999 or 112 and ask for the COAST GUARD. Your call could save their life.

Skerries Coast Guard

Report of car in water – 17 September 2015

Posted on by

This afternoon, the Skerries Coast Guard team were tasked to investigate a public report of a car in the water at Gormanston beach, Co Meath. The Coast Guard’s Sikorsky S92 helicopter based at Dublin Airport, Rescue 116, also responded along with Skerries Gormonston beachLifeboat and local Gardai.

On arrival, the vehicle was already flooded by the high tide. All agencies worked together to quickly establish that there were no occupants in the vehicle. A search was carried out of the area with nothing further to report.

Skerries Coast Guard – a voluntary search and rescue unit of the Irish Coast Guard

Remember – if you spot someone in difficulty along the coast, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the COAST GUARD. Your call could save their life. 

Sky Lanterns – safety advice

Posted on by

Skerries Coast Guard’s Safety Advice for Sky Lanterns

These airborne Chinese lanterns have become increasingly popular in recent years as a way of marking special events. However, they do pose a significant danger Skerries Coast Guardto aviation traffic and can cause the deployment of Irish Coast Guard resources on false rescue missions. Chinese lanterns, drifting across a night sky, are commonly mistaken by the public for marine distress flares. Each year, the Skerries Coast Guard team are tasked to investigate false distress alerts caused by Sky Lanterns.

If you are intending to release sky lanterns:

You must, before the release date, obtain permission in writing from the Flight Operations Dept of the Irish Aviation Authority.  You can contact them at fod@iaa.ie or by phone at 01 603 1148

Just before releasing the lanterns:

To ensure your lanterns are not confused as a sighting of a distress signal, you must contact the following agencies just prior to releasing the lanterns:

  • Irish Coast Guard
  • Nearest Air Traffic Control unit
  • Nearest Garda station

The detailed advice and all contact phone numbers are contained in the IAA’s Sky Lantern safety leaflet, available from their website or by clicking here.

home

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

Training with Coast Guard helicopter – Red Island, Skerries

Posted on by

This morning, the Skerries Coast Guard team took part in a routine training exercise with the Skerries & Clogherhead Coast Guard vehiclesCoast Guard’s Dublin based Sikorsky S92 search & rescue helicopter. The exercise took place at the Red Island headland, Skerries and the team were also joined by their neighboring Coast Guard team from Clogherhead Coast Guard Unit.

The Coast Guard helicopter landed on shortly after 10am and both teams took part in a number of routine flight Skerries Coast Guard - heli trainingand winching exercises.

The exercise concluded at 11:30 and the Coast Guard helicopter departed back to its nearby base at Dublin Airport. The Skerries Coast Guard team extends its thanks to the public at Red Island for their cooperation in following the directions of Coast Guard personnel whilst this exercise took place.

Skerries Coast Guard – a voluntary search and rescue unit of the Irish Coast Guard

Skerries Coast Guard winch 1

Skerries Coast Guard & Rockabill