Lough Derg Sub Aqua Club has over the years also performed a civil duty of Search & Recovery support and other operations as requested from time to time.
The club began keeping records of this type of activity since 2006.
In the past few years our governing organisation, CFT, has formalized Search and Recovery (S&R) activities within affiliated clubs. In the past S&R was conducted within clubs on an ‘ad hoc’ basis; training was infrequent, if happening at all, and was often left to the generosity of club members to give of their time and equipment.
This is no longer the case. Within the club there is now a designated group of divers who are fully trained and insured (under a named CFT insurance policy) to volunteer as designated S&R divers. This can involve assisting statutory and voluntary agencies such as –
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The Coastguard (unit based in Ballina/Killaloe)
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The Gardaí
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The Garda Sub Aqua Unit
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Defence Forces
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Civil Defence
The club is also available to assist voluntary bodies such as the
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RNLI
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Any cliff & coastal rescue
In order to keep active, these divers must take part in training events and log activities
Statutory and voluntary bodies are on hand to tend to tragedies that may occur from time to time. CFT’s experienced sports divers are well placed to lend appropriate assistance to a Search & Recovery operation.
CFT divers will participate in S&R operations within specific units established in a club or region and not on an individual basis.
Being so close to the River Shannon and particularly Lough Derg, Lough Derg Sub Aqua Club is ideally placed to assist with S&R operations on the Shannon and provide support to other organisations such as the Gardaí and the Dromineer-based RNLI.