Find the latest news and updates about water safety here.
Ahead of the May bank holiday weekend, Water Safety Ireland, the Irish Coast Guard and the RNLI are jointly appealing to people to be safe and summer ready when planning an activity on or near the water.
The Coast Guard and RNLI have shared the following safety advice for swimmers, highlighting the dangers of swimming alone and the importance of being monitored from the shore.
• Always check the weather forecast and understand the local effects of wind, tides and currents.
• Never swim alone and have somebody ashore who is familiar with your plans and ideally can observe your progress.
• Only swim in sheltered areas with which you are familiar and swim parallel to the shore.
• Ensure that you are visible from the shore. Wear a brightly coloured swim cap or use a tow float to increase your visibility in the water.
• Wearing a wetsuit is advisable to help stay warm.
• Slowly acclimatise to cold water to reduce the risk of cold water shock.
• Get warmed up afterwards. Wrap up well in extra layers of clothing
• If in doubt, don’t go out!
• Tell someone else where you’re going and when you are due back.
The government today launched its ‘Be Summer Ready’ 2023 campaign with the message: “Think Water Safety - Plan and Prepare.” This campaign provides advice across a wide range of topics on staying safe this summer.
You can find all the Safety On The Water Booklets here.
Marine Notices are information notices issued by the department to publicise important safety, regulatory and other information relating to the maritime sector in Ireland.
The Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) examines, and if necessary, carries out investigations into all types of marine casualties to, or on board, Irish registered vessels worldwide and other vessels in Irish territorial waters and inland waterways.