Our Objective

To raise awareness of water safety, specifically in the Athlone urban area and to put in place lifesaving riverside equipment, which can be used by trained first responders in the event of an emergency on the river.

Our Background

Over the years people have found themselves in the river in Athlone for one reason or another. Unfortunately, the outcome is generally not good. Sadly, the vast majority of times we are faced with a recovery operation rather than a successful rescue. Our aim is to change this in a dramatic way.

We aim to mirror what other groups have done in for example; Drogheda, Limerick, Waterford.

We provide a range of water rescue equipment, all housed in a locked metal safe box at each side of the river for use by volunteers, should a person enter the water.

Signage and public awareness will also feature largely in what we do.

Volunteer

We aim to have in the region of 30 fully trained volunteers. These volunteers would attend the river side, in town, in the event of an incident on the river. The ‘emergency call’ would go out and be managed by a dedicated App. Those available would attend and have full access to all the life saving equipment in each of our Survival Boxes.

If you are interested and live in close proximity to the town area we would love to hear from you.

Volunteer Now

Since 2019 we have been supported and joined by the following organisations who guide and help us in so many ways, Thank you to the following

survival boxes

Our work will hopefully lead to fewer people entering the water in the first instance. But if they do, they will stand a much better chance of rescue given the preparedness and work of our group.

Currently we have two permanent locked metal survival boxes located each side of the River (The Docks and The Strand) with all that is necessary to assist in the rescue of a person from the water.

High powered spot lamps
Throw ropes and flotation devices
Reach Poles
VHF radios to communicate directly with RNLI
Loud Hailer
Defib
Life Jackets
First Aid Kit.

River Rescue Robot

We have also added a River Rescue Robot to each of the Survival Boxes. These devices are the first of their kind in Ireland and they provide us with a fast deploy option should we be called upon to support a casualty in the water.

We are registered as a charity and we are registered also with Westmeath’s Public Participation Network.