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22nd April 2024
03:03pm BST
A swimmer was rescued 1km off the Irish coast over the weekend after he was spotted clinging to a buoy by a passing ferry.
The man in his 20s was spotted on the afternoon of Sunday, April 21 in Howth by the boat, after which the alarm was raised for a rescue operation.
The man reportedly was swimming off Burrow Beach when he then decided to swim out to Ireland’s Eye. However the strong currents caused him to struggle and seek rescue.
The passing Adam Patricia ferry, a service that runs from Howth to Ireland's Eye, a distance of over 1km, fortunately spotted the man in trouble and dragged him aboard.
The coast guard was alerted after the man was taken on board. The swimmer, a tourist who had been in the water for hours, was believed to be suffering from extreme hypothermia.
An ambulance arrived after the rescue where the man was treated and then taken to Beaumont Hospital.
Howth Coast Guard said in a statement: "Thanks to the quick response of the ferry crew a very serious situation was averted and a life was saved."
They added that while "air temperature had risen, sea temperature at this time of year is still very cold meaning onset of hypothermia can happen quickly".
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