Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

World

Irish women saved clinging to lobster pot after 15 hours at sea

-

Two cousins who were blown out to sea paddle boarding off Ireland's west coast were found clinging to a buoy on a lobster pot after a 15-hour ordeal, media reports said.

The Irish Coast Guard said the women aged 17 and 23 were rescued on Thursday after being reported missing the previous evening, prompting an overnight air and sea search of Galway Bay.

They survived heavy rain and strong winds without wetsuits, although they were wearing buoyancy aids, Barry Heskin from the RNLI lifeboat service told public broadcaster RTE.

A local fisherman eventually tracked down the pair 27 kilometres (17 miles) from where they were last seen, having set off with his 18-year-old son to find them, RTE reported.

"They were waving their paddles up in the air, they had us spotted, well they were waving anyway and then we came alongside," fisherman Patrick Oliver told the broadcaster.

"They are weak and tired of course but they were sitting up and (we got) a little bit of chat out of them," he said, adding that he and his son had brought the cousins to an island where they were picked up by a helicopter and taken to hospital.

Their paddle boards were inflatable, which meant the wind would have pushed them out to sea quicker, a local coastguard boss also told RTE.

Prime Minister Micheal Martin said he welcomed news of their rescue "very very warmly" and that it highlighted the work of emergency services and voluntary groups nationwide.

Two cousins who were blown out to sea paddle boarding off Ireland’s west coast were found clinging to a buoy on a lobster pot after a 15-hour ordeal, media reports said.

The Irish Coast Guard said the women aged 17 and 23 were rescued on Thursday after being reported missing the previous evening, prompting an overnight air and sea search of Galway Bay.

They survived heavy rain and strong winds without wetsuits, although they were wearing buoyancy aids, Barry Heskin from the RNLI lifeboat service told public broadcaster RTE.

A local fisherman eventually tracked down the pair 27 kilometres (17 miles) from where they were last seen, having set off with his 18-year-old son to find them, RTE reported.

“They were waving their paddles up in the air, they had us spotted, well they were waving anyway and then we came alongside,” fisherman Patrick Oliver told the broadcaster.

“They are weak and tired of course but they were sitting up and (we got) a little bit of chat out of them,” he said, adding that he and his son had brought the cousins to an island where they were picked up by a helicopter and taken to hospital.

Their paddle boards were inflatable, which meant the wind would have pushed them out to sea quicker, a local coastguard boss also told RTE.

Prime Minister Micheal Martin said he welcomed news of their rescue “very very warmly” and that it highlighted the work of emergency services and voluntary groups nationwide.

AFP
Written By

With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

You may also like:

Tech & Science

Under new legislation that passed the House of Representatives last week, TikTok could be banned in the United States.

Social Media

Wanna buy some ignorance? You’re in luck.

Life

Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest often suggest travel destinations based on your likes and viewing habits.

Business

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said the carrier was reviewing recent incidents and would redouble safety initiatives as needed - Copyright AFP Logan CyrusUnited...