Water safety authorities appeal to swimmers to observe Covid rules

Water safety authorities have appealed to swimmers to take extra care to observe Covid-19 regulations and pay attention to sea temperatures following rescues on opposite sides of the country in recent days.

Numbers at popular swimming points on inland waterways and coastal areas have been seen building up, with little evidence of social distancing or pre-swim mask-wearing.

Three teenage boys were rescued on Monday after being swept into the sea at Easkey Pier in Co Sligo.

A local woman Zoe Lally, who is a development officer with Easkey-based Irish Surfing, saw the three teenagers in difficulty and was able to save two with the aid of a nearby life buoy. For the third rescue she had to jump in the water.

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On Tuesday, in Sandycove, Co Dublin, a woman who was swimming at the Forty Foot got into difficulties and was rescued by Dún Laoghaire RNLI with the aid of the Irish Coast Guard and the National Ambulance Service.

The popular Forty Foot bathing place was described as “near crowded” at the time as swimmers enjoyed a springtime burst of sunshine. An onlooker said up to a dozen people were preparing to swim or in the water at the time when the woman appeared to get into difficulty with an undercurrent and was unable to get back to shore.

Exhausted

Dún Laoghaire volunteer lifeboat was launched and found the woman exhausted and holding on to rocks about 50 metres southeast of the Forty Foot. After quickly assessing the situation, the crew came alongside and brought her on board.

The woman was very cold from long exposure to the sea temperature, but otherwise was in good health. The lifeboat transferred the woman to Sandycove Harbour, with help from the Coastguard, where she was given a secondary medical assessment.

Mark McGibney, coxswain of Dún Laoghaire RNLI’s lifeboat, said the rescue crew were “ very happy that the outcome of this call-out was a positive one, as things in situations like that can change very fast for the worst”.

However, he asked everyone planning on entering the water over the coming holiday to check the weather and sea conditions at the time and to “never underestimate the sea”.

“ The sun may be shining and air temperatures rising but the Irish sea temperature in our area is just above 7 degrees at this time of year. Please be aware that cold water shock is always a risk for people in Irish waters even as we come into the summer.”

John Leech, chief executive of Irish Water Safety, also warned of shock which could be brought about by jumping into cold water. He said temperatures were low at this time of year and while people in the sunshine did not always feel the cold on shore, shock from immersion in cold water was the number one contributory factor in drownings.

He also warned against the use of alcohol, which he described as “a total no-no” when swimming, and reminded people of the need for social distancing. “I know it is outside, but big crowds build up and people are still at risk,” he said.

The Irish Coast Guard also said large numbers had built up at Sandycove in advance of Tuesday’s rescue and a spokesman asked people to observe the Covid regulations and take extra care while swimming.