Skerries RNLI rescue a man and his dog in Loughshinny

The volunteers in Skerries launched the Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat “Louis Simson” at the request of Dublin Coast Guard, with the information that a dog was stranded on the beach in Loughshinny following a fall from a cliff face.

As the lifeboat was navigating to the location provided, the crew received an update from Dublin Coast Guard that the dogs owner had made their way down to the dog, but was unable to climb back up, and was also stranded on the beach.

When they arrived on scene, the volunteers quickly spotted the man and his dog on the beach. The lifeboat was positioned as close to shore as possible, before two volunteers were sent ashore to assess the man's condition. Both the man and dog were in good spirits and did not require medical attention. They were assisted into the lifeboat and were returned to the safety of the shore at Loughshinny harbour where they were handed into the care of the volunteers in Skerries Coast Guard who had also responded to the emergency.

The lifeboat returned to Skerries where it was washed down and made ready for the next service.

Conditions at the time were force two to three westerly wind with a smooth sea and excellent visibility.

This was the second call out for Skerries RNLI this week after two teenagers raised the alarm on Tuesday (18 June) evening when they became stranded on Shenick island. They had made their way out to the island on Paddle Boards but following a change in the weather conditions became concerned about making it back to land safely. They were picked up from the island by Lifeboat and returned safely to shore.

Speaking after the call outs, volunteer lifeboat press officer for Skerries RNLI, Gerry Canning said “It’s quite common when a pet is in difficulty for the owners to also end up in distress, so we will always respond to these calls and treat them like every other emergency. We are delighted that both the man and his dog were ok. The two teenagers on Tuesday evening made a smart decision to stay on the island and contact someone on shore to ask for help. Our volunteers are always ready to respond to emergencies, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

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.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.