Dun Laoghaire RNLI rescues Sandymount dog walker from incoming tide
Dun Laoghaire RNLI rescued a woman and her dog who became cut off from the shore by the incoming tide on Sunday afternoon (29 January) at Sandymount Strand.
The volunteer crew were alerted shortly after 3pm by the Irish Coast Guard following a mobile phone call from the woman who was forced to stand her ground on a sandbank while the tide came in all around her and her dog. The volunteer crew launched the inshore lifeboat within 10 minutes of receiving the call and arrived at the scene by 3.20pm.
The lifeboat helmed by Alan Keville and with two crew members onboard, immediately made its way to the scene. A westerly wind brought choppy sea conditions on the bay with waves of over one metre on the rising tide.
The walker and her dog were out for their beach stroll when they got into difficulty and the tide came in across Sandymount Strand. Arriving on scene, the helm brought the inshore lifeboat to its minimum depth and two volunteer RNLI crew Moselle Hogan and Andrew Sykes waded the short distance to the sandbank and rescued the woman and her dog, bringing them safely aboard the lifeboat and on to the beach at Poolbeg where they were met by the Coast Guard.
Speaking following the call out, Dun Laoghaire RNLI Helm Alan Keville said: ‘We would like to commend the dog walker for doing the right thing by calling 999 and raising the alarm immediately. Time is always of the essence in these situations.
‘We would remind visitors to the coast to always be aware of local tide times before planning a walk. The tide comes in and out twice in each 24 hour period and while tide times can be predicted, they can also vary at each location and change daily. A beach or coastal area may appear a safe place for a walk but an incoming tide can quickly leave you stranded.’
Key facts about the RNLI
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 146,000 lives.
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