Galway Bay FM Newsroom - Galway City Councillor Niall McNelis has backed calls by Water Safety Ireland warning the public against using inflatable toys in open water.
Today marks World Drowning Prevention Day and the city councillor said they should never be used at rivers, lakes and beaches.
Lifeguards trained by Water Safety Ireland have also seen an increase in the use of inflatable toys such as air mattresses, boats and inflatable rings.
Both the Irish Coast Guard and Irish Water Safety organisations have called on everybody to redouble their efforts to ensure that basic safety precautions are observed when recreating on or near the water.
Councillor McNelis said that the lead of Clare and Waterford County Councils to ban inflatables from bathing areas should be followed nationally.
