Three Steps to Staying Alive this Easter

Three Steps to Staying Alive this Easter

Galway.net , 23 March 2005

The CEO of Irish Water Safety, John Leech has today warned about the increased risk of water related accidents and tragedies this weekend as the number of people taking to activities in and around water will increase.

Approximately 70,000 yacht and boat enthusiasts will take to our waters this weekend for leisure, thousands more will go swimming, diving, angling, canoeing, surfing, windsurfing and kite surfing. Others are at risk as they walk adjacent to our shoreline and inland waterways. If you intend to enjoy our aquatic environment this Easter then make water safety your foremast concern.

Cold-water temperatures still average nine degrees Celsius on our coastline with freshwater being a few degrees cooler. The CEO cautions aquatic users that their bodies are not acclimatized and they should not stay too long in the water.

Alcohol is a contributory factor in almost 30% of drownings, therefore I ask the public to exercise common sense when consuming alcohol this weekend.

Children are fascinated and attracted to water. It is critical that adults supervise children at all times around the aquatic environment. In water safety terms for children, staying S.A.F.E. is to Stay Away From the Edge.

Your lifejacket is your lifesaver

It is important that everybody visiting aquatic environments this Easter ensures that their lifejackets are fully serviced. Wearing a lifejacket at all times when you are engaged in aquatic related pursuits WILL reduce the number of accidental drownings this weekend.

There are a number of safety issues that the public should be aware of in regard to manually or automatically inflating lifejackets, as they require a regular maintenance programme to ensure that they operate correctly: ensure the CO2 Cartridge has not been partially or wholly unscrewed from its housing; ensure all buckles, fasteners, crotch strap and webbing straps are functioning correctly and in good order; check that their lights, if fitted are operating correctly; ensure the lifejacket is adjusted for your body size; check that the automatic inflating device has not been triggered accidentally or has been damaged; always wear them over your oilskins or other protective clothing, after use rinse them off in fresh water protecting the soluble bobbin or cartridge if fitted and then hang them up vertically in a dry atmosphere.

Sailors are putting their lives at risk by not checking them regularly and not having them correctly maintained by the authorised agents. Adequate training is essential for the correct operation of these PFDs and is provided by the RNLI, sailing clubs and some commercial training agencies.

There have been a number of drownings as a result of loose or unseated CO2 cartridges, faulty or damaged automatic trigger mechanisms, a leak in the lung, faulty non-return valves the manual deflator left in the manual inflating orifice, incorrectly fitted lifejackets (straps too loose) and no crotch strap fitted. Tragically, there have been drownings where the victim did not manually inflate the lifejacket at all. Training is essential in this regard to gain confidence in its operation.

Be fully alert during full moon

Caution should be exercised this weekend, which heralds the start of the season for boating, angling, yachting, and many other water related leisure activities.

There will be a full moon on Friday, which will cause spring tides over the Easter period. This will pose a risk to anybody who visits and uses the seaside or who takes to the sea in a boat.

Stranding is a risk to many walkers over Easter and for our mariners they will need to be aware that the tidal streams will run very strong and make necessary allowances in their passage plans over the festive period. Divers need to exercise extreme caution on wreck or drift dives and this needs to be highlighted in the dive plan and brief. Overfalls and strong eddies caused by wind against tide will pose an increased risk to small boat users.

Drink alcohol sensibly this weekend

Enjoy your aquatic pursuit this weekend but drink sensibly and do not put your family or others at risk. Approximately one third of drowning victims consumed alcohol. Please don't add to this unnecessary loss of life.

Irish Water Safety Association, the statutory body established to promote water safety in Ireland issues this advice and makes available courses in swimming, lifesaving, water confidence, survival and resuscitation nationwide throughout the year.

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