Skerries Coast Guard

This morning, a member of the public found an abandoned Search And Rescue Transponder (SART) while out walking in the town centre. This SART was handed to one of the Skerries Coast Guard volunteers, who with the assistance of the Coast Guard’s marine rescue coordination centre (MRCC) traced it to a local fishing trawler currently berthed at Skerries harbour.

These SARTs are an essential piece of marine safety equipment and are used by a vessel when in distress and in need of assistance. Local Gardai are investigating the removal of this SART from the vessel.

Skerries Coast Guard made contact with the owner and it appears that the SART may have been recently stolen from the trawler and discarded on wasteland. The SART was safely returned to the ower later in the day.

Incident # 15 of 2009

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This morning, in advance of routine training with the Coast Guard helicopter, Skerries Coast Guard volunteers were alerted by concerned members of the public at Red Island, Skerries that three swimmers may be in difficulty. The experienced swimmers had entered the water at the Northern side of the headland and were attempting to swim around the headland.

Coast Guard volunteers on scene immediately began a shoreline scan for the swimmers and quickly located them. It appears that the strong currents had proved challenging for the swimmers, however they had altered their intended course and were safely returning to the shore. Coast Guard volunteers administered minor first aid treatment to one of the swimmers, but otherwise they were all uninjured.

Incident # 14 of 2009

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Remember – if you spot someone in difficulty in the water, or even if you think that someone may be in difficulty, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the COAST GUARD. Do not assume that someone else has made the call.

At 22:30 this evening, the Skerries Coast Guard team were tasked to investigate several public sightings of red marine distress flares. The Coast Guard’s rescue coordinaiton centre in Dublin (MRCC) had received several 999 calls from concerned members of the public. A large number of these flares had apparently been deployed several miles South of Skerries, near to Loughshinny harbour.

The Skerries Coast Guard team, along with local Gardai, conducted a shoreline search from Skerries to Loughshinny, however nothing unusual was sighted and the team was stood down.

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Incident # 13 of 2009

Early this morning, during a routine familiarisation foot patrol at Loughshinny, members of Skerries Coast Guard discovered a small two person inflatable dinghy washed ashore near the high water line. The team immediately notified the Coast Guard’s Marine Rescue Control Centre (MRCC). The dinghy was still in good condition, with some personal items on board and appeared to have been washed ashore by the high tide earlier that morning. No reports of overdue vessels had been logged with the Coast Guard. The full Skerries Coast Guard team were immediately tasked to attend the scene as there was the possibility that there may have been persons missing in the water.

However, Gardai at Balbriggan confirmed that a dinghy matching the description had been allegedly removed from a local garden during the night and was reported missing by its owner. Another eyewitness on scene confirmed he had observed a group of youths placing the dinghy on the beach earlier that morning. The Coast Guard were satisfied that the dinghy had not been in the water and no further action was required.

Incident # 11 of 2009

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At 12:55 this afternoon, the volunteers of Skerries Coast Guard were tasked by the Irish Coast Guard’s Marine Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) to investigate reports that three adults may have been cut off by the tide near Shenick Island, Skerries. Concerned members of the public on the South Strand had contacted the emergency services as the persons appeared to be in difficulty.

Members of the Skerries team were on scene at the South Strand shoreline within minutes and observed three adults stranded on the sand bank near Shenick Island. Lifeguards on duty at the South Strand had already swam out to the persons to prevent them from attempting to swim to shore. Given the fast incoming tide, the Coast Guard immediately requested a nearby civilian RIB to provide assistance to the persons.

The civilian vessel arrived within minutes and took all persons on board, brought them safely to the shoreline, where the Skerries Coast Guard team, along with the beach lifeguards, were on hand to provide assistance. Fortunately the casualties had only been waiting a short time before they were spotted and did not require any treatment.

Remember: if you spot someone in difficulty on the coast or shoreline, even if you only think that they may be in difficulty, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the COAST GUARD. Do not assume that someone else has made the call.

Incident # 7 of 2009

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