Two children found clinging to a buoy off the Co Dublin coast were rescued when a passing boat helmed by an off duty member of the Irish Coast Guard came to their aid on Tuesday evening. The pair are believed to be teenage boys.
The Irish Coast Guard national operations centre received several 999 calls alerting them to two children in difficulty in the sea at Malahide close to the Grand Hotel in north county Dublin.
The rescue team from Howth, who were returning from a call, answered the emergency all, along with an RNLI inshore boat from Howth Harbour and Air and Sea Irish Coast Guard Sikorsky S-92 Rescue 116.
A passing boat which happened to be helmed by an off duty member of the Howth Coast Guard team picked up the two children who were out of their depth and clinging to a mooring buoy.
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In a statement the Irish Coast Guard said: “The two [children] were dropped ashore to waiting Coast Guard shore crews [and] they didn’t require any further medical attention.
“With the good weather continuing we encourage people to exercise caution near the coast; we are encouraged by the quick response of the public recently to contact the Coast Guard at 112 or 999 when they see someone who may be in trouble.”
Meanwhile, the RNLI has urged the public to take care on the sea and waterways during the spell of fine weather. Last year, lifeguards experienced a 155 per cent rise in paddle boarding incidents compared with 2021.
An RNLI spokesperson said that if anyone is paddle boarding they should wear a buoyancy aid, carry a phone in a waterproof pouch, wear the correct leash and avoid offshore winds.
Killian O’Kelly, Water Safety Officer with the RNLI, said they have had several calls over the past couple of weeks involving boats and kayakers.
“We want people to have fun on our waters but we want them to do it safely,” he said.