Skerries Coast Guard undertook routine night search and rescue training at the Red Island and harbour area in Skerries this evening. This training centred around the scenario of a person reported missing and last seen in the area. The team successfully located the casualty and evacuated from the scene.
We have added a new link to our volunteer recruitment page showing the Google Earth locations of all the other Coast Guard stations dotted around the country. Click here to view. (This link opens directly in Google Earth. To install Google Earth, please download here http://earth.google.com/)
This link is courtesy of the coastguard.ie site.
Skerries Coast Guard volunteers played host to a visiting member of the US Coast Guard, who was holidaying in Ireland midway through a tour of duty on board the USCGC Baranof in the gulf. The visit was very informative and enabled members of both organisations to swap information on experiences, training and each other’s organisations roles.
At the end of the visit the Skerries Coast Guard unit was presented with a USCG flag. Skerries Coast Guard would like to wish the crew members of USCGC Baranof a safe tour!
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Our flank Coast Guard station in Howth is organising a 1,500m sea swim at 3pm on Saturday 11th July at Claremount Beach, Howth. Teams from the North Dublin emergency services will be taking part, including the Irish Coast Guard, Airport Police & Fire Service, An Garda Síochána, Beaumont Hospital A&E, and Dublin Fire Brigade.
Members of the Skerries Coast Guard team will also be taking part in the race. The Howth Coast Guard station will also be open for members of the public to visit.
Members of the Skerries Coast Guard team provided assistance to their flank station at Drogheda with river patrols at this year’s Slane concert. This involved a combination of intensive foot and boat patrols along several miles of the fast flowing Boyne river, adjacent to the concert venue.
The event passed off without any major incidents on the river.
At 00:10 this morning, the volunteers of Skerries Coast Guard were tasked to respond to public reports of an adult male entering the water at the South Strand, Skerries. A concerned member of the public had contacted the Coast Guard on 999 to request assistance as the person appeared to be in difficulty.
The Skerries team arrived at the scene within minutes and toghether with local Gardai quickly located the casualty in the water. With the aid of powerful search lights, the casualty was guided safely back to the shoreline. Fortunately, the casulaty did not suffer any injuries and had only been in the water a short time.
Remember – if you spot someone in difficulty in or near the water, or even if you only think that someone may be in difficulty, contact the COAST GUARD on 999 or 112. Do not assume that someone else has made the call
Incident #10 of 2009
This afternoon, the volunteers of Skerries Coast Guard were paged to investigate a report of shoreline pollution near Balbriggan harbour. A concerned member of the public had contact the Coast Guard’s Marine Rescue Control Centre (MRCC) to report possible oil pollution in the water.
The Skerries team conducted a shoreline search and located the site of the report. The team did observe an unusual scum on the surface water, but this was naturally occuring and no further action was required.
Incident # 9 of 2009
This morning, the volunteers of Skerries Coast Guard undertook regular training with the Coast Guard Sikorsky S-61N Rescue helicopter at Red Island, Skerries. This involved selecting and preparing the Red Island landing site, with excellent weather conditions prevailing on scene.
The volunteers received a refresher ground briefing on all operational aspects of the Coast Guard helicopter and its capabilities.
Several volunteers took part in a familiarisation flight along the Coast towards the Skerries team’s Northern SAR boundary of Laytown.
Over the May bank holiday weekend, members of the Skerries Coast Guard team assisted with the National Windsurfing Festival at Broadmeadows estuary, Malahide, Co Dublin. Weather conditions over the weekend allowed for some excellent windsurfing.
A Coast Guard D-Class rescue boat and crew were out on the estuary providing assistance to any windsurfers who found themselves in difficulty.
The festival also provided members of the public to try out windsurfing in a safe and controlled environment.
The Skerries team also stationed the Coast Guard’s water safety promotion trailer on the shoreline, providing useful advice to the public.
Skerries Coast Guard were tasked recently to investigate public reports that some maritime equipment had washed ashore near Rush, North County Dublin. From the descriptions provided, it appears that it may have been an Ocean-Bottom Seismometer (”OBS”).
These are a common geophysical instrument and are frequently used in the Irish sea to measure movements in the oceanic plates. Described as an aluminium sphere about 17″ in diameter, often bright orange or yellow in colour. They generally they rest on the seabed, but sometimes can break free from their anchorings and drift ashore. They pose no danger to people or wildlife.
A search of the area was undertaken however no OBS was located. It appears that it had been several days since the initial sighting was made before it was reported to the Coast Guard. It is believed that the OBS may have drifted back out to sea.
If any members of the public should spot one of these OBS, or indeed any other unusual objects at sea or on the shoreline, they should call the Coast Guard on 112 or 999 or VHF radio channel 16. The Coast Guard will arrange for specialist removal and disposal of the equipment.
