Galway RNLI rescues three people from the water after boat capsizes off Salthill

The volunteer crew were requested to launch by the Irish Coast Guard after a small boat was reported to be in difficulty off Blackrock in Salthill and three casualties ended up in the water. The alarm was raised by a person on a nearby boat.

The crew of helm Dave Badger, Aaron Connolly, Sean King and James Rattigan, launched the Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat shortly after 8pm and made their way to Blackrock in Salthill. Conditions at sea were good with good visibility and the lifeboat and crew were quickly on the scene.

The three people, who had been in the water for around half an hour at that stage, were taken from the water and brought safely onboard the lifeboat where they were assessed and casualty care was administered. The lifeboat returned to the station where volunteer shore crew were waiting to give assistance with first aid. The casualties were brought into the lifeboat station where they were assessed by paramedics from the National Ambulance Service before being taken by ambulance to hospital for further treatment.

The lifeboat and crew then went back out to sea to secure the boat which was towed back to Galway Docks so that it would not be a hazard to other boats or water users.

After the call out, Galway RNLI Helm Dave Badger said: ‘It was a good result this evening and we would like to commend the member of the public on another boat who spotted the three in difficulty and raised the alarm. Thankfully we were able to get all three casualties out of the water and bring them back to shore safely. The casualties were wearing lifejackets which gave them the best chance at staying afloat and being visible.

‘Accidents happen and at any time you could end up in the water unexpectedly. Wearing a lifejacket buys you precious time until help arrives. If correctly fitted and maintained it will help you to float and it dramatically increases your chances of survival.’

Ends

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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 142,700 lives.

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