Being an island, Ireland has miles and miles of fascinating and welcoming coastline. Add in the inland waterways, rivers and lakes and you have more opportunities to spend quality time in or near the water than a life preserver can shake.
But statistics show that year after year free time on the beach has a fatal end for too many people. Locals and visitors alike. Most of these deaths are preventable – here are some safety tips:
Beaches supervised by lifeguards
Many Irish beaches are under the supervision of lifeguards, but only during the main summer season and during ‘business hours’. This means that you will have to check for yourself if a lifeguard is on duty.
In addition to providing an emergency rescue service, first responders are often a great source of insider knowledge. They can identify the places to avoid with children, the safest areas, and any currents that may prevail offshore. Don’t hesitate to ask for advice.
On the other hand, never assume it’s “safe” just because first responders are on duty – roads don’t get safer because of ambulances, only survival rate improves.
Beaches not supervised by lifeguards
There are many more unsupervised beaches, many very popular and busy. Again, your own safety is your own concern. With the added risk that there are no “professionals” to remove it in an emergency.
rivers and lakes
There are a number of mostly unsupervised swimming areas in rivers and lakes. In addition, there are strong currents, sudden deep subsidence of the river bed and vegetation, all conspiring to get you in trouble. The advice is simple: don’t risk it. Deaths in “popular bathing places” are becoming more common.
Danger: use of flotation devices in Ireland
Never, never use an air mattress or inflatable toy to relax in the water; winds and currents will most likely carry you out to sea in no time.
Danger: underestimating Irish tides
Several beaches for bathing are close to the mouths of the rivers: come the tide, you will be surprised how fast the water flows into the open sea. Dragging you in that general direction too. In this case, never try to swim against the current, try to reach the shore by swimming with the current, skirting it to one side (obviously, the side closest to dry land).
Another danger is for walkers on the beach. The incoming tide can interrupt you without warning, leaving you first stranded and then swimming. And even if you are ‘safe’ stranded above the watermark, there is a great risk of exposure. In 2014, this calamity befell the Irish entertainment duo Jedward… who immediately called their mother for help, who then called emergency services.
Danger: morons with motors
There are almost no controls or restrictions in place (or enforced) on smaller watercraft. What has led to an economically well-off minority without any training or knowledge that endangers the public through frankly stupid behavior. Anytime you see people recklessly using motorized boats near beaches … get out of the water immediately. Being hit by a jet ski at 30 mph can easily end up in the morgue.
Danger: rock climbing on the Irish coast
In addition to the risk of being stranded (see above), you may be having trouble with loose rocks and long falls. There are regular fatal falls from innocent looking cliffs. Keep in mind that most of the deaths in the popular Cliffs of Moher could be self-inflicted.
Even when climbing rocks that are not too steep, there are dangers: fatalities are seen every year when people are swept out to sea by ‘freak waves’. Although the frequency of such incidents makes one wonder how “strange” they really are.
Dolphins, seals, sharks, whales and other marine animals in Ireland
Some wild animals on the Irish coast need to be approached with care, as dangerous animals can also be found in Ireland:
- Dolphins : Wild dolphins (Dingle’s “mushrooms” don’t really count) are generally indifferent to human swimmers. But when they feel upset or threatened, they become specialists in underwater martial arts. A few years ago, an overzealous German tourist with his head to his groin might tell a story of grief on this subject. In a falsetto voice.
- Seals – Again indifferent to swimmers, seals can bite. Especially when you are getting into the water from the shore or from a boat. If you put a hand in, the stamp sees a practical snack. Keep your hands and feet out of the water when around the seals. Unless it is swimming, it is apparently perceived as a disabled seal.
- Sharks – Don’t panic, all sharks in Irish waters are harmless to humans. But encountering the huge basking shark while swimming off the west coast can lead to a heart attack.
- Whales – All kinds of whales have been seen off the Irish coast, no dangerous encounters have been reported. However, swimmers and surfers can refrain from entering the water when a rare pod of killer whales is seen. In addition to being very protective of their young, they have been known to prey on seals.
- Jellyfish – Poisonous jellyfish are reported every summer along the Irish coast, contact can lead to severe (even fatal) allergic reactions. Heed warnings and avoid contact.
Who are you going to call?
In an emergency, alert local first responders or dial the emergency number 112 (or 999), asking for the Coast Guard. Both the Irish Garda Costa Agency and the Northern Ireland Maritime and Coast Guard Agency are the coordinating force for maritime accidents. They will alert lifeboats, SAR helicopters, or cliff rescue teams as the situation requires.
It will help if you know where you really are and if you stay on the scene until you get fired. At the same time, try not to lose eye contact with a person in difficulty. Searches at sea are notoriously long.
