Council condemns 'reckless' removal of lifebuoys in Ardee

Louth County Council has strongly condemned recent incidents in which lifebuoys were deliberately removed from their stands and thrown into the River Dee in Ardee. 

The Council said it was forced to request assistance from Boyne Fishermen’s Rescue and Recovery, who retrieved the lifebuoys from the water.

In a statement, the local authority said: "A lifebuoy is a vital piece of life-saving equipment, and its presence can mean the difference between life and death in an emergency.

Removing or tampering with a lifebuoy is an act of vandalism that puts lives at risk and shows a total disregard for the safety of the local community.

If a lifebuoy is missing when someone is in distress in the water, the consequences could be fatal." 

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Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council, Cllr Seán Kelly described the incidents as "reckless and unacceptable". 

"Lifebuoys are there to save lives, and every lifebuoy taken out of place puts people at real risk and wastes the time of volunteer rescue services." 

“In this case, this diversion of emergency resources was entirely avoidable, and I would ask those responsible to stop immediately and think about the danger they are causing,” he said. 

Louth County Council said it is fully committed to water safety across all waterways and locations in the county and urged anyone who witnesses interference with lifebuoys is encouraged to report it immediately to the relevant authorities.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.