04/10/2026
It was a privilege for Safe Water Training to support Galway Civil Defence with this significant multi-agency Search & Rescue exercise on Lough Corrib.
Hosted by Galway Civil Defence, the exercise brought together Civil Defence boat units from Galway, Mayo, Roscommon and Clare, alongside Westport Coast Guard, Corrib Mask Search and Rescue and Irish Coast Guard Rescue 115.
Safe Water Training and Wild Galway Boat Tours worked closely with Galway Civil Defence in the planning and delivery of the exercise, supporting the development of the scenarios, logistics, provision and deployment of search targets, and coordination with Exercise Control throughout the day.
With multiple search areas, vessels and teams operating across Lough Corrib, the exercise provided a valuable opportunity to test interoperability between different organisations and resources in a realistic operational environment.
From search planning and sector allocation through to communications, mapping, target deployment and the coordination of multiple rescue craft, the day provided crews with an opportunity to work alongside teams they may not normally operate with.
As the national training provider for Civil Defence boat units, Safe Water Training works with teams across the country, so it was particularly rewarding to see crews from different counties come together, operate alongside each other and share their experience.
Exercises like this are about much more than completing a scenario. They’re about building relationships, testing systems and developing the confidence and interoperability needed before those skills are required for real.
A huge credit to Galway Civil Defence for hosting the exercise and bringing so many agencies, crews and resources together.
Thank you also to everyone who contributed to the planning, logistics and operational delivery, and particularly to Wild Galway Boat Tours for their significant involvement throughout the exercise.
We thoroughly enjoyed being part of it and hope this is the first of many similar multi-agency water-based exercises around the country.
Training for the real world.