Call to curb alcohol- related boat incidents

Killaloe Coast Guard has called for increased vigilance and monitoring of the waterways for boat operators under the influence of alcohol following an incident last weekend where a man who had passed out on his speedboat had to be towed ashore.

A local who noticed the speedboat adrift on Lough Derg reported the incident to the Coast Guard on Saturday evening at about 7.45pm.
Speaking to The Clare Champion, Michael Quigley, officer in charge with the Killaloe Coast Guard, said, “We received a report of a boat adrift just north of Killaloe. Our concern was that someone had fallen overboard and we sent the boat to investigate.
“There appeared to be no one on board until we boarded the boat, where we found a person unconscious with alcohol. He was requested to put on a lifejacket and he refused to. He was the only one aboard the speedboat and it was his own boat.
“The person was taken into custody because he refused to leave his boat and we couldn’t be responsible if we left him there. We gave him the chance to walk it off. But in the end the gardaí were called and negotiated with him and he had to be taken into custody,” Mr Quigley said.
He explained that it took six volunteers to deal with the matter, which went on from 7.45pm to 9pm.
“Unfortunately, the fine weather and boating are synonymous with partying, we’re not there to quench that thirst; we would like people to be responsible and to nominate a designated skipper, similar to having a designated driver. There are laws under the Maritime Safety Act that you cannot be in control of a vessel under the influence of alcohol, the same as in the case of driving a car. You also must wear a lifejacket in any vessel over seven metres long and all children on any vessel must wear a lifejacket. It comes down to who enforces this,” Mr Quigley said. 
“I would ask whoever is the authority to at least patrol the lake once or twice over the summer months to do spot checks. I can only say that as a result of people operating vessels under the influence of alcohol, we find ourselves in these types of situations and if makes our job difficult because we don’t have the authority to restrain or enforce laws.
“We can assist them and bring them to safety, where possible. When it comes to the law, the gardaí are directly responsible and while we find that they do a good job on land, unfortunately they are probably not aware of the enforcement measures under that act. They have powers to tackle this issue,” Mr Quigley added.
There is a garda water unit based in Athlone but according to Mr Quigley, increased patrols need to be carried out, particularly over the summer period.
“The River Shannon is larger than any major motorway we have in Ireland. The dangers of drinking and boating is the same as they are when driving. Your reactions are slowed down, you don’t perceive dangers before they actually happen and ultimately you are putting the life of you and your crew, especially if they are intoxicated, in danger. Not to mention other users of the waterways.
“In a high-powered craft, in particular, you can take out a small boat without knowing it’s there so it is the same thing as being on a road. If you fall on a surface you can brace yourself, if you fall out of the boat into the water you can drown. We would encourage people that if they want to have their few drinks on the boat to do so when it is moored or anchored,” Mr Quigley added.
A Killaloe Garda spokesperson explained that there are “frequent patrols” of the Shannon carried out by the water unit and that prosecutions have been taken in respect of the Maritime Safety Act 2005.
The act outlines that a person being in command or in charge of a vessel in Irish waters anywhere shall not operate or control or attempt to operate or control the vessel while he or she is under the influence of alcohol or a drug.
On conviction of such an offence, a person who fails to comply with this is liable on summary conviction to a maximum fine of €5,000, imprisonment for a maximum of three months, or both.