Outrage following theft of lifeguard equipment

A LOCAL authority has warned
that thieves who stole lifeguard equipment could be putting lives at risk.

Staff at Fingal County
Council’s operations department have expressed their frustration and outrage
after thieves broke into the lifeguard station at Claremont in Howth on Friday
night August 12 /Saturday morning August 13 and stole valuable equipment,
including a rescue boat and engine.

Shocked

A spokesman for Fingal
County Council said he was shocked at the callousness of the theft.

“On any given day
during the summer, hundreds of people visit Fingal beaches, and during
particularly fine weather this can rise to thousands, with adults and children
enjoying seawater swims,

? he told Northside People.

Compromised

“The council ensures that
the main beaches are patrolled by lifeguards, and that safety signage and
equipment is available. But now, because of this theft, safety at Claremont
could be compromised.

“Replacing this
equipment is a must, but will cost us over $5,000.

“The council simply doesn’t
have thousands of euro to repair and replace essential lifesaving items which
are destroyed, vandalised or stolen.

“This senseless attack on
scarce and important resources is a huge blow to the council and it will have a
serious effect on innocent members of the public who use this beach.

?

The spokesman said the
council has been working extremely hard this summer to make sure that any
reduction in resources has had the least possible negative effect on members of
the public.

Difficult

“Incidents like these make
our job much more difficult as we have to take money from somewhere else in our
budget to replace this vital equipment,

? he stated.

“Two days after this theft a
member of the public who was kayaking along Claremont contacted the local
Coastguard advising them that he had towed back to shore two teenage girls who
had experienced slight difficulty when their inflatable device was carried too
far out from shore.

Tragedy

“If this kayaker had not
been in the area, without the lifeguard boat, this could have easily turned
into a tragedy.

?

The spokesman said the
council’s operations staff were of the opinion that the thieves certainly knew
the value of the equipment they stole, and that this was most likely

‘theft-to-order’, as only very specific items were taken.

“We appeal to members of the
public using any beaches to report suspicious behaviour to their local gardai,

?
he added.

If anyone has information in
relation to events at Claremont Beach on August 12/13, contact Howth gardai at
6664900 or any local Garda station.