From early morning, the Skerries Coast Guard team took part in a large scale land search exercise at Ardgillan Castle, Balbriggan. The day was divided into two principal training events: the first a challenging initial response land search for a missing person; the second, a wide ranging orienteering course.

The land search kicked off with a initial brief on a recently reported missing person. As the search was centred on the initial response phase, techniques such as purposeful wandering proved very effective as the teams tackled the dense forest area.

The second phase of the exercise focused on challenging the team’s orienteering skills, taking them through a series of compass and bearing scenarios. This brought them across the many acres of open parkland, overlooking Barnageera Bay and Skerries harbour in the distance.

Overall, the training day was a great success and also proved a useful opportunity for the passing members of public to find out more about their local coast guard.

More photos are available in our online photo gallery

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