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Displaying items by tag: Killiney

#Rescue - Drone owners will be mindful of where they fly their devices after a woman was stranded on a cliff face in Killiney while trying to recover one of the mini aircraft.

Dublin MRCC received a 112 call on Tuesday (15 August) from a father whose daughter was stuck on the cliff at Whiterock, after she had attempted to retrieve the drone he had been test flying before it crash landed.

Dun Laoghaire Coast Guard were deployed to the scene along with the Dublin-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116. A request was also extended to the Greystones Coast Guard Cliff Unit to assist.

A Dun Laoghaire coastguard volunteer reached the woman, who had found herself stuck some 30 feet from the cliff base, and made her comfortable until Rescue 116 prepared their winch man to lower her to the beach below. No injuries were reported.

Published in Rescue

#Pollution - RTÉ News reports that a swimming ban was lifted yesterday on bathing spots at Seapoint and Killiney on Dublin Bay’s southern shore after high levels of E.coli were detected last Friday (30 June).

The bathing ban remains at Blackrock Baths pending the results of samples expected later today (Wednesday 5 July). Blackrock and Seapoint were subject to a similar ban for high E.coli levels back in January, according to TheJournal.ie.

More recently, the beaches at Dollymount and Sandymount were closed to swimming after heavy rains caused by a sewage spill in the River Liffey.

Published in Coastal Notes

#MarineWildlife - Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has warned the public to stay away from the carcass of a minke whale that has washed up on Killiney Beach.

According to TheJournal.ie, the carcass of the 13m female minke whale was seen floating off Greystones yesterday and Shankill earlier today (Friday 19 August).

In what's an unusual occurrence for the East Coast, the carcass has washed up on a rocky stretch made even more treacherous by high spring tides – and it may also pose a risk of infection to curious beachgoers.

Published in Marine Wildlife

#DublinBay - Four bathing spots in South Dublin have been temporarily closed to swimmers after water tests indicated levels of bacteria above the minimum health standards.

As TheJournal.ie reports, Killiney Beach will have its Blue Flag status suspended by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council pending the investigation into the high levels of E.coli and Enterococci detected in water samples taken yesterday (16 July).

The popular White Rock beach in nearby Dalkey has also been closed to bathers, while Dublin City Council has prohibited swimming at Sandymount Strand and the South Wall after its own water quality tests.

Waters at all four Dublin Bay locations have been resampled with results due tomorrow (Friday 18 July).

Published in Dublin Bay

#MARINE WILDLIFE - They were thought to have disappeared from the east coast in October after delighting wildlife enthusiasts in Dublin and Wicklow.

But concerns that one of the group had died were swept side when the pod of three bottlenose dolphins was once again spotted off Killiney recently.

The Wicklow People reports that the two adults and one juvenile reappeared almost two weeks ago, and have been seen daily "putting on great displays of leaping, breaching, and tail slapping".

Fears were that tragedy had befallen the group when two bottlenoses were seen off Skerries and Balbriggan in late October, and a juvenile was found dead in Portmarnock shortly after.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, some 200 sightings of the dolphins between Dalkey Island and Wicklow town in recent months were validated by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG).

According to the IWDG, evidence suggests that the pod is now resident off the east coast.

The Wicklow People has more on the story HERE.

Published in Marine Wildlife
Racers in Dalkey and Killiney Bay have been enjoying the sight of three bottlenose dolphins who have taken up residence in the area.
The trio has attracted much attention in recent weeks due to their playful antics, but the Dublin Bay Sailing Club reminds sightseeing boat owners to be careful not to crowd them.
For guidelines on the correct procedures when encountering dolphins see the relevant DTTAS Marine Notice HERE.

Racers in Dalkey and Killiney Bay have been enjoying the sight of three bottlenose dolphins who have taken up residence in the area.

The trio has attracted much attention in recent weeks due to their playful antics, but the Dublin Bay Sailing Club reminds sightseeing boat owners to be careful not to crowd them.

For guidelines on the correct procedures when encountering dolphins see the relevant DTTAS Marine Notice HERE.

Published in Marine Wildlife

Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) in Ireland Information

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity to save lives at sea in the waters of UK and Ireland. Funded principally by legacies and donations, the RNLI operates a fleet of lifeboats, crewed by volunteers, based at a range of coastal and inland waters stations. Working closely with UK and Ireland Coastguards, RNLI crews are available to launch at short notice to assist people and vessels in difficulties.

RNLI was founded in 1824 and is based in Poole, Dorset. The organisation raised €210m in funds in 2019, spending €200m on lifesaving activities and water safety education. RNLI also provides a beach lifeguard service in the UK and has recently developed an International drowning prevention strategy, partnering with other organisations and governments to make drowning prevention a global priority.

Irish Lifeboat Stations

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland, with an operational base in Swords, Co Dublin. Irish RNLI crews are tasked through a paging system instigated by the Irish Coast Guard which can task a range of rescue resources depending on the nature of the emergency.

Famous Irish Lifeboat Rescues

Irish Lifeboats have participated in many rescues, perhaps the most famous of which was the rescue of the crew of the Daunt Rock lightship off Cork Harbour by the Ballycotton lifeboat in 1936. Spending almost 50 hours at sea, the lifeboat stood by the drifting lightship until the proximity to the Daunt Rock forced the coxswain to get alongside and successfully rescue the lightship's crew.

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895.

FAQs

While the number of callouts to lifeboat stations varies from year to year, Howth Lifeboat station has aggregated more 'shouts' in recent years than other stations, averaging just over 60 a year.

Stations with an offshore lifeboat have a full-time mechanic, while some have a full-time coxswain. However, most lifeboat crews are volunteers.

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895

In 2019, 8,941 lifeboat launches saved 342 lives across the RNLI fleet.

The Irish fleet is a mixture of inshore and all-weather (offshore) craft. The offshore lifeboats, which range from 17m to 12m in length are either moored afloat, launched down a slipway or are towed into the sea on a trailer and launched. The inshore boats are either rigid or non-rigid inflatables.

The Irish Coast Guard in the Republic of Ireland or the UK Coastguard in Northern Ireland task lifeboats when an emergency call is received, through any of the recognised systems. These include 999/112 phone calls, Mayday/PanPan calls on VHF, a signal from an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) or distress signals.

The Irish Coast Guard is the government agency responsible for the response to, and co-ordination of, maritime accidents which require search and rescue operations. To carry out their task the Coast Guard calls on their own resources – Coast Guard units manned by volunteers and contracted helicopters, as well as "declared resources" - RNLI lifeboats and crews. While lifeboats conduct the operation, the coordination is provided by the Coast Guard.

A lifeboat coxswain (pronounced cox'n) is the skipper or master of the lifeboat.

RNLI Lifeboat crews are required to follow a particular development plan that covers a pre-agreed range of skills necessary to complete particular tasks. These skills and tasks form part of the competence-based training that is delivered both locally and at the RNLI's Lifeboat College in Poole, Dorset

 

While the RNLI is dependent on donations and legacies for funding, they also need volunteer crew and fund-raisers.

© Afloat 2020