The Marine Emergency Service demonstrated its capabilities yesterday at the annual full-scale search and rescue exercise in Bantry, Co Cork.
The Irish Coast Guard search and rescue (SAR) exercise involved canoes, yachts, wind surfers, swimmers, cliff fallers and ended with a fire on board a fishing vessel. The "rescues" got under way at about 3pm and lasted 80 minutes.
The main purpose of the exercise was to increase awareness among the public, fishing interests and leisure users of safety on the water. The exercise also illustrated the capabilities of the various units and organisations involved in maritime search and rescue.
Participants included the Naval Service, the Air Corps, an RNLI lifeboat, the Bantry community rescue boat, lifeguards, Irish Water Safety, Civil Defence Ireland, Irish Coast Guard cliff teams, boat crews, a SAR helicopter and Castletownbere's Severn-class lifeboat.
A live commentary over the public address system explained to the large crowd what was happening as each element of the exercise took place. A wide range of "safety on the water" publications were available to the public.
Paul Stephens, press officer for Castletownbere lifeboat station which was involved in a "rescue" yesterday during a fire on a boat, said the SAR exercise was vitally important as it made people aware of the dangers of the water.
"It builds awareness of water safety which is so important as the summer months draw near. It heightens awareness of the dangers not only for people on the beach who go swimming but for people who go boating for pleasure and so on. It also gives the different organisations the opportunity to work together." The annual SAR exercise allows the public to understand the close working relationship among marine rescue agencies. A different coastal venue is chosen each year.
To coincide with the event, the coast guard organised an art competition for primary school children. Six winners, and one parent or guardian each, will get a trip on a SAR helicopter at Bantry airfield on a date to be decided in the near future.
In 2005 the Irish Coast Guard dealt with 1,800 incidents and assisted 4,709 persons in difficulty. There were 551 incidents involving pleasure craft, 75 involving merchant vessels and 297 involving fishing vessels.
RNLI lifeboats launched 754 times, coast guard SAR helicopters took to the air on 452 occasions and coast guard volunteer units around the coast were tasked 663 times.
Irish Water Safety (IWS) figures indicate that an average of 13 people drown in Ireland every month. IWS insists that the incidence of drowning tragedies, while at its lowest since 1965, is still unacceptably high, with 120-plus people drowning every year in Ireland. The CEO of IWS, John Leech, recently warned the public on the use of inflatable boats, airbeds, floating seats and blow-up toys in the water.