A unique water safety installation was launched at Cork Airport on Wednesday.
The RNLI ‘Float to Live’ exhibition outlines the steps that should be taken when getting into difficulty on the open water.
An average of 116 people have lost their lives in Irish waters each year in the past decade, with a large number of these tragedies happening in Munster.
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the RNLI. The charity was founded on 4 March 1824 in London. There are 46 RNLI 46 lifeboat stations, on the island of Ireland with 2 in Kerry at Fenit and Valentia Island.
The RNLI Ireland Water Safety Lead Linda-Gene Byrne welcomed the opportunity to bring the water safety message to passengers and thanked Cork Airport for its generous support for the campaign noting that she ‘hoped that the general public and young people in particular will have an opportunity at Cork Airport to absorb the safety messages at the heart of the exhibition.’
As hosts of the exhibition, Cork Airport Communications Manager, Barry Holland added: ‘It’s a real pleasure to host the RNLI’s water safety awareness exhibition here at Cork Airport. As one of the most well-known charitable organisations in Ireland and the U.K., the good work of the RNLI and its volunteers is exemplified by the presence of eight lifeboat stations in Co. Cork. This exhibition will not only serve to mark the significant 200th anniversary of the RNLI but also to educate and promote water safety to the hundreds of thousands who will use the airport over the coming month. I would like to congratulate the RNLI on marking 200 years since its foundation.
