This morning, the Skerries Coast Guard team conducted a large scale, multi Coast Guard Unit search exercise in the area of Rush. This scenario based exercise began shortly after 9am at the South beach, and after an initial briefing all search teams departed to their allocated search areas. Weather conditions in the area were excellent with good visibility reported.
This morning the Skerries Coast Guard team conducted a search and rescue exercise at Rush North Beach and harbour area. Weather conditions on scene were favourable despite the strong NW winds. The team carried out several casualty extraction exercises and a small number of white signal flares were deployed during the exercise.
Skerries Coast Guard – a voluntary search and rescue unit of the Irish Coast Guard
Early this afternoon, the Coast Guard’s National Maritime Operations Centre at Dublin received a call from Fingal Lifeguards stationed at Loughshinny reporting concerns for several youths who had set out on kayaks earlier that morning. The group of kayakers had set out from Loughshinny beach amid clear conditions, however a think fog had since descended with visibility reduced to less than 30 metres.
The Coast Guard tasked the Skerries Coast Guard team and Rescue 116 to carry out a search to locate the kayakers. Shortly after arriving on scene at Loughshinny, the Skerries team spotted the kayakers making their way slowly back to the beach. The Skerries team met with the group at the shoreline and thankfully all were ok.
Skerries Coast Guard would recommend before setting out on the water to check the current Sea Area Forecast (available from www.met.ie) for any expected changes or deterioration in the prevailing weather conditions.
Remember – if you spot someone in difficulty on the coast, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the COAST GUARD. Your call could save their life.
At 23:00 this evening the Coast Guard’s National Maritime Operations Centre (NMOC) received several independent public reports of red flares sighted off the Fingal coast. The exact location of the flares was difficult to pinpoint, however it was believed they were fired on the coastline area between Rush and Malahide.
The Skerries Coast Guard team were tasked to investigate and immediately began a comprehensive shoreline search of the area. Several Skerries Coast Guard search teams were deployed and the area (including Loughshinny, Rush, Rogerstown Estuary, Portrane, Donabate and Malahide Estuary) were thoroughly searched. The Howth lifeboat was also tasked to the area and carried out a detailed at sea search with the assistance of a private vessel. Howth CGU were tasked to search south of Malahide.
No further flares were sighted or anything unusual noted. Conditions on scene were very good with clear visibility and only light SW winds. All search teams were stood down in the early hours of the morning and returned to base.
Remember – if you spot someone in difficulty, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the COAST GUARD. Your call could save their life.