Pay attention to water safety advice to help support the work of the RNLI – Ward

Fine Gael Dún Laoghaire Senator, Barry Ward, is calling on people to pay attention to water safety advice as part of our efforts to minimise the need for the use of our emergency services.

Senator Ward said: I support the call of Dun Laoghaire RNLI for people to be water safety conscious as we move out of the winter period.

“They have reported that demand on their services increased significantly over the last 12 months and so we must all make an effort to keep ourselves safe, which will support their work and reduce this demand.

“I encourage everyone to pay heed to the water safety advice. People living along the coast and those who may visit the coast whenever public health guidelines allow, need to be aware that even though we are moving out of the winter period, we are still dealing with very cold-water temperatures and challenging tides. Anyone getting in the water in the coming months must acclimatise carefully and slowly to the cold water to reduce the risk of cold-water shock.

“Swimmers are advised to always check the weather forecast and tides. Only swim in sheltered areas and swim parallel to the shore.

“You should never swim alone and if possible, have somebody ashore who is familiar with your plans and can keep an eye out for you. It is also advisable to wear a brightly coloured swim cap or use a tow float to increase your visibility in the water.

“Boaters are encouraged to always wear a life jacket and to ensure they have a way of calling for help if needed.

“Even walkers should be aware of tides if their route is going to take them near the coastline.

“RNLI crews around our coastline play an invaluable role in keeping people safe and indeed saving lives in emergency situations. We can all play our part in reducing the need for the use of our emergency services however by taking simple precautions”, concluded Senator Ward.