Two people were rescued from The Shannon Estuary in County Clare on Sunday evening after their sailing dinghy capsized in difficult weather conditions.
Kilrush RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew conducted the rescue shortly after 6.00pm close to Hog island, which is located between Cappa Pier in Kilrush and Scattery Island.
Following the rescue, the crew immediately returned to Kilrush Lifeboat Station at 6.25pm, where volunteers continued casualty care until an ambulance arrived. Both individuals were later taken to University Hospital Limerick, where they have since made a full recovery.
Kilrush RNLI described sea conditions as difficult due to strong southwesterly winds in the estuary at the time of the incident.
"The challenging conditions made locating the casualties and their upturned dinghy difficult. After an intensive search, both casualties were found and quickly retrieved from the water. They were medically assessed onboard, with one showing signs of hypothermia," the RNLI said in a statement issued on Monday afternoon.
Shawna Johnson, Kilrush RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said: "This was a frightening experience for the casualties and we are delighted to hear they have made a full recovery and we wish them well."
"From an operations perspective, everything aligned perfectly – from our station mechanic who spotted the dinghy capsize and called the Coast Guard, to the rapid launch of the lifeboat and the expert search and rescue efforts of our crew. The lifesaving work our volunteers do is essential, often challenging, and sometimes dangerous, but they are always prepared to drop everything and respond in a moment’s notice," added Ms. Johnson.
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| The Shannon Estuary in County Clare. Credit Visit Clare. |
Top image credit: RNLI