Coast Guard Lost Child Wristband launch
Summer Safety Campaign: “Give us a hand”
Aim: To reduce the number of incidents of children getting separated from their parents/ guardians at beaches around Ireland.
Impact of Missing Child Incident
Impact to child and parent/guardian
- Dangers of coastal environment – Open water/ Sand Dunes/ Cliffs
- Anxiety to both child and parent/ guardian
- Fear of the unkown
Search and Rescue resources required
The Irish coast guard takes missing child incidents very seriously.
Singnificant resources can be required from the:
- Coast Guard, Lifeguards, Lifeboats,
- An Garda Síochána
Resources Include:
- Coast Guard Helicopters
- Rescue boats
- Ground teams on Quads, Jeeps, Mountain bikes, foot
Disposable Lost Child Wristband
The Coast Guard have come up with a wristband which parents/ guardians can place on the child’s hand. Features include :
- Durable, Water Proof wristband made out of Tyvek material.
- Bright orange in colour it allows the parents to write their contact details on the band.
- If the child gets separated the number can be obtained from the wristband and the parent contacted.
- Wristband is very secure and may require the parent to remove it carefully using a scissors.
- Free to parents/ guardians from Coast Guard patrols and Lifeguard stations around the country.
- Importantly the wristband also displays the details to contact the Coast Guard on 112 (European Wide Numbers for all Emergency Services, same as 999 service) for emergencies on the Beach, Cliffs and Water.