Rough Weather is Putting the Irish Coast Guard to the Test
Ireland is recording an increase in the number of marine incidents in its vast coastline, and this reality is testing the resilience and capability of the Irish Coast Guard (IRCG), particularly for its core search and rescue mission.
In yet another indication of how perilous the country’s rugged coast and harsh weather can be, the IRCG responded to 2,793 incidents in 2025. This was an increase from the 2,554 incidents recorded in 2024. Most of the response missions were carried out under extreme weather and unpredictable conditions, situations that demanded rapid and coordinated responses.
The agency, which has 44 units spread across the country, also deployed nearly 1,200 times for missions that served shoreside communities. This included 933 helicopter missions, including medical support for offshore island communities.
During the year, the Coast Guard provided life-saving assistance to more than 1,900 people. This was a significant increase considering the agency provided care or medical transport to 537 people in 2024.
The year also witnessed Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats being launched on 798 occasions, compared to 699 in the previous year.
Among the notable incidents, in October the IRCG rescued 12 crewmembers from the Spanish-owned trawler Radoche Tercero, which was operating off the southcoast west of Cork. The crew sent a mayday after the vessel started taking on water. In December, IRCG also rescued the crew of French trawler Fastnet after the vessel started drifting onto the rocks near Dingle.
The rising numbers of incidents has forced the Irish government to increase the budget for the Coast Guard and invest in improving the agency’s assets. For the current financial year, a budget of $190 million has been allocated to the IRCG and maritime services.
Last year, the agency reached a major milestone in its aviation capability after taking delivery of four AW189 helicopters, bringing the total of new helicopters that have been acquired in the recent past to six. The expansion has enhanced the IRCG’s ability to respond more effectively to emergencies, ensuring rapid deployment and improved coverage across the country’s coastline and inland areas.
Severe Winter Storm Hits UK Shipping, Sends Containers Overboard
The UK’s Maritime & Coastguard Agency is reporting a busy night and efforts on Friday, January 9, to track containers after a severe winter storm crossed the region around the English Channel overnight. Warnings were posted for shipping as containers went overboard near the Isle of Wight.
In meteorological terms, the storm became what is known as a bomb cyclone, where the storm rapidly intensifies. It, however, left local areas surprised by the ferocity. There were reports of wind gusts of 73 mph at Needles on the western side of the Isle of Wight. At Portland, the winds were measured at approximately 65 mph, while in parts of Devon and Cornwall the winds reached 99 mph.
There were widespread reports of flooding, with the Portland Beach Road closed for hours due to high waves, while parts of the region reported sleet and even snow. Elsewhere, 22 mm of rain was recorded in the Channel Islands.
The storm grew in intensity in the evening, peaking around 2300 local time. The winds and waves, however, continued much of the night.
It was around the peak of the storm that the MCA reported it received a call about containers going overboard. Around 2310, it was informed that an unnamed ship had lost 17 containers near Nab Tower and the Isle of Wight. While the first report was being processed, a second vessel reported it had lost seven containers about 16 nautical miles south of St. Catherine’s Point.
The MCA said it had fixed-wing aircraft searching on Friday for a total of 24 containers believed to be in the water. Ships were being warned of the danger.
The MCA was working with the shipping companies to determine the contents of the boxes. Some reports said the first lot was believed to be reefers. The second lot was thought to be empties, and the MCA said there was a good chance that some of the boxes sank in the high seas.
It emphasized that it is the responsibility of the shipping companies to locate and retrieve the overboard containers.
These losses come just a month after another reefer vessel lost 16 containers in the same general area. Boxes washed ashore and on the beaches, and inland, people were finding bananas. At last account, 13 of the 16 containers were located, and the others were thought to have sunk in the waterway.
The MCA launched an investigation, noting that one concern was improperly secured containers, or it said that crews sometimes started to remove restraints in anticipation of reaching port to speed the handling.
While the search was continuing for the overboard containers, the weather was also impacting other shipping operations. Hovertravel to the Isle of Wight was entirely canceled. DFDS was warning of disruptions and delays due to winds and waves for its cross-channel service between Dover and France.
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