'Wexford MarineWatch' was established in January 2013 primarily to try and combat a long epidemic of suicides off Wexford Bridge -- one of the longest bridges in Ireland today at over 580 metres.
Most of these individuals are not recovered in time and get swept away by the very strong tidal flows in the Harbour. This often results in drawn out lengthy searches for weeks -- sometimes without success -- resulting in no closure for the families affected. It is distressing for the Community, the Search Teams and the Relatives.
The aim of Wexford MarineWatch is to provide the Harbour area with 'Safety Prevention Patrols' -- operated various nights a week by trained Volunteers. These members kindly volunteer their free time on a Rota-basis each month, to help save lives and make people aware of the dangers of the water. They also monitor life-saving devices in the area ensuring all are intact and functioning correctly, whilst replacing any damaged/vandalised items. Each team of volunteers is headed up by a Supervisor, who is responsible for liaising with the Emergency Services including the Irish Coast Guard and the Gardai.
The idea of the scheme is to identify and intercept people who may be in difficulty before its too late -- and alert the correct emergency services accordingly. Volunteers do not come into physical contact with individuals and DO NOT enter the water. They are there to provide a distraction (while the emergency services are summoned by other team members), as well as provide alternatives to the casualty, such as information on 24hr professional assistance available that they may not be aware of.
