By Bernd Biege
Ireland Travel Expert, about.com
Being an island, Ireland has miles and miles of fascinating and
inviting coastline. Add the inland waterways, rivers and lakes and you
have more opportunities to spend quality time on or near water than you
can shake a lifebuoy at.
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But statistics show that year after year
time off on the seaside has a fatal ending for too many people. Locals
and visitors alike. Most of these deaths are avoidable - here are a few
safety hints:
Beaches Supervised by Lifeguards
Many Irish
beaches are under lifeguard supervision - but only during the main
summer season and during "business hours". This means that you will have
to check for yourself whether a lifeguard is on duty.
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Apart from
providing a rescue service in emergencies, lifeguards usually are a
great source for insider knowledge. They can identify the spots to avoid
with kids, the safest areas and whatever currents might be prevalent
off-shore. Feel free to ask for advice.
On the other hand never
assume is "safe" just because there are lifeguards on duty - roads don’t
get safer because of ambulances, only the survival rate improves.
Beaches Not Supervised by Lifeguards
There are far more
beaches without any supervision at all - many quite popular and crowded.
Again, your own safety is your own concern. With the added risk that
there are no "pros" to pull you out in case of 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 plunges of the
riverbed and vegetation - all conspiring to get you into difficulties.
The advice is simple: don't risk it. Fatalities at "popular bathing
spots" are increasingly common.
Danger: Using Floatation Devices in Ireland
Never,
ever use an air mattress or inflatable toy to relax on the water -
chances are that winds and currents will blow you out to sea in no time.
Danger: Underestimating the Irish Tides
Several
bathing beaches are near the mouth of rivers - come ebb tide, you might
be surprised just how fast the water flows into the open sea. Dragging
you into that general direction as well. In this case never try to
swim against the stream, try to reach shore by swimming with the stream,
edging towards the side of it (obviously the side nearest to dry land).
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Another
danger is to walkers on the beach. The incoming tide may cut you off
without warning, leaving you first stranded and then swimming. And even
if you become "safely" stranded above the watermark, there is a strong
risk from 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 checks and restrictions in place (or enforced) regarding
smaller water craft. Which has lead to a financially affluent minority
without any training or knowledge endangering the public through
downright moronic behaviour. Whenever you see people using motorized
craft recklessly near beaches ... get out of the water immediately.
Being run over by a jet-ski doing 30 mph can easily end in the morgue.
Danger: Rockclimbing on the Irish Coast
Apart
from the risk of being stranded (see above), you may be running into
trouble with lose rocks and long falls. There are regular fatal falls
from innocent-looking cliffs. Note that most fatalities at the popular Cliffs of Moher might well be self-inflicted.
Even
when climbing on none-too-steep rocks, there are dangers, - every year
sees fatalities when people get swept into the sea by "freak waves".
Though the frequency of such incidents makes one wonder how "freak" they
actually are.
Dolphins, Seals, Sharks, Whales and Other Marine Wildlife in Ireland
Some wildlife on the Irish coast should be approached with care, as there can be dangerous animals in Ireland too:
- Dolphins - wild dolphins (Dingle's "Fungi" does not really count) are generally indifferent to human swimmers. But when feeling pestered or threatened, they become underwater martial arts specialists. An over-enthusiastic German tourist head-butted in the groin a few years ago could tell a tale of woe on this theme. In a falsetto voice.
- Seals - again mostly indifferent to swimmers, seals may bite. Especially when you are reaching into the water from the shore or a boat. You put in a hand, the seal sees a handy snack. Keep hands and feet out of the water when near seals. Unless you are swimming yourself, then you are apparently perceived as a disabled seal.
- Sharks - don't panic, all sharks in Irish waters are harmless to humans. But encountering the massive basking shark while swimming off the Western shore can induce a heart attack.
- Whales - all sorts of whales have been spotted near the Irish coast, there have been no dangerous encounters reported. Swimmers and surfers might, however, refrain from entering the water when a rare pod of orcas is sighted. Apart from being very protective of their young they have been known to prey on seals.
- Jellyfish - every summer poisonous jellyfish are reported along the Irish coast, contact can lead to severe (even fatal) allergic reactions. Heed warnings and avoid contact.
Who You Gonna Call?
In an emergency, alert local lifeguards or dial the emergency number 112 (or 999), asking for the Coast Guard. Both the Irish Garda Costa and the Maritime & Coastguard Agency in Northern Ireland
are the coordinating force for marine accidents. They will alert
lifeboats, SAR helicopters or cliff rescue teams as the situation
demands.
It will help if you know where you actually are and if
you stay on the scene until dismissed. At the same time try not to lose
visual contact with a person in difficulty. Searches at sea are
notoriously long-winded.
Driving on Beaches - a Last Warning
There
are still many beaches in Ireland which you may legally drive on. Which
can be a danger to other visitors and the environment. So one may hope
that this practice will be stamped out in the future.
If you
decide to drive onto a beach, be aware that the ground is only stable in
few areas. You may sink into loose sand, gravel or mud. Getting stuck
might not be your worse problem, however, once the tide starts coming
in: there must be hundreds of cars every year engulfed in water, some
written off afterwards. Most of them have been driven by non-locals.
I
have seen British and quite a few Eastern European cars go sub-aquatic,
but also a Dublin Civil Defence jeep on the Wexford coast.
