‘Wexford MarineWatch’ is a voluntary organisation which provides Suicide Prevention Patrols along Wexford Quays, Estuary & Harbour, and is a Registered Charity – RCN No.20107932, CHY No.22083.
Established in December 2012, our primary objective was to try and reduce the high level of deaths by suicide in the Wexford Harbour and Bridge area – which had began spiraling out of control. Previously, most of these people in difficulty were not intercepted in time and those who entered the water got swept away by the very strong tidal flows in the Harbour. This often resulted in drawn out lengthy searches by voluntary agencies, sometimes for weeks or even months – resulting in distress & heartbreak for the families, the relatives, the search teams and the wider community, as everyone sought closure to each tragic incident.
In an unprecedented move never seen in any town in Ireland before, all local Statutory & Voluntary Emergency Services joined forces to put this scheme in place – Wexford RNLI, the Civil Defence, An Garda Siochana, the National Ambulance Service, Co. Wexford Fire Service, the Irish Coast Guard and Wexford Local Authorities, – all still playing an active role in its operation and success to this day. This ‘inter-agency’ co-operation ensures a swift, co-ordinated response to someone in difficulty, ensuring deaths are kept to a minimum and these people get the help they need quickly.