Irish J1 student in serious condition after swimming incident

A 22-year-old Irish J1 student is reportedly in a serious condition after being rescued from the waters off Ocean City in Maryland, the US, on Wednesday.

The Irish man was one of four swimmers who were rescued from the sea in the early hours of Wednesday, after one of the group made it to shore and called emergency services.

The swimmers began to struggle after entering rough waters by North Division Street in the resort town.

The Ocean City fire department sent rescue swimmers to the scene at about 6.30am, and they successfully assisted two of the victims to shore.

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However, the fourth swimmer, an Irish male student, began suffering an apparent cardiac arrest during the rescue.

The man, who is believed to be a student at Cork Institute of Technology from Ballyhooly, was brought to shore and given CPR before being transported to Atlantic General Hospital.

His condition is described as “very serious”, according to Ocean City fire department.

A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said they were aware of the incident and are providing consular assistance.

The local community in Ballyhooly posted on Facebook it would hold a vigil on Thursday evening to pray for the young man’s recovery.