Lifeguards rescued 173 swimmers last month
Lifeguards rescued 173 casualties from our beaches, rivers and lakes last month, that is 240 less than last July confirming the poor summer we are having.
There were 278 children lost and reunited with their parents. There were another 8,665 accidents prevented by the proactive actions of our lifeguards.
The CEO of Irish Water Safety, John leech is urging the public to use the Local Authority manned lifeguarded bathing places to ensure there are no swimming tragedies before the children return to school. Swim between the flags and please take heed of the advice given by the lifeguards and always supervise your children, lifeguards should not have to spend time searching for children.
The CEO is also warning the public that the seasonal weather and sea conditions has brought potentially dangerous jellyfish to some of our beaches. The Portuguese man o ‘war has been reported on Barleycove Beach, Co Cork and the Lions Mane jellyfish has been reported on a number of beaches on the west and east coasts. For information on jellyfish and treatment of stings visit http://www.iws.ie/beach/jellyfish-safety.321.html . There will also be a risk to the public of being stung by weever fish over the last weekend of the month due to the full moon and the associated spring tides.
Details of our lifeguarded waterways at http://www.iws.ie/bathing-areas/map.372.html
In Marine Emergencies, call 112 and ask for the Coastguard.
