Galway RNLI rescues man cut off by tide at Silverstrand Beach in Galway
Galway RNLI's volunteer crew launched their inshore lifeboat late last night (Saturday 10 June) to rescue a man who was cut off by the incoming tide and became stranded on Grey Rock off Silverstrand beach, near Barna.
This was the second rescue by Galway RNLI yesterday following a launch in the early hours to a casualty who had fallen off a pier in the city.
On Saturday evening, the lifeboat was helmed by David Oliver with crew members Stefanie Carr, Lisa McDonagh and David McGrath onboard. They were supported by shore crew David Badger, Mike Cummins, Aaron Connolly, James Rattigan, Ian Claxton, Olivia Byrne and Sean McLoughlin.
Conditions were good with a calm sea and due to the current spell of good weather, it was still warm when the lifeboat arrived on the scene at around 9.50pm. Once there, the crew brought the casualty who was safe and well onboard the lifeboat and returned with the casualty to the lifeboat station at the New Docks.
Mike Swan, Galway RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said: ‘It was a busy day, particularly for members of the crew who either went out on the lifeboat on both rescues or provided support on the shore by launching the lifeboat and afterwards washing it down, refuelling and getting it ready for the next call out. We faced two very different scenarios in the past 24 hours and it is a credit to the dedication of our volunteer crew and their commitment to ongoing training that both rescues went so smoothly.
‘Walking around coasts is a very safe activity most of the time. Our advice is to always take a means of calling for help and to check the weather and tides. Tide times and heights vary throughout the month and can easily catch you out if you haven’t checked them. If you get into difficulty or see someone in difficulty, please dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.’
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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.
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