Second rescue for Galway lifeboat in 24 hours after man gets stranded by rising tide

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The Galway RNLI came to the rescue of a man who became trapped after being cut off by by the rising tide yesterday.

Late on Saturday night, a man found himself stranded on Grey Rock off Silverstrand beach, near Barna after being cut off by the incoming tide.

On Saturday evening, the lifeboat was helmed by David Oliver with crew members Stefanie Carr, Lisa McDonagh and David McGrath onboard.

They were supported by shore crew David Badger, Mike Cummins, Aaron Connolly, James Rattigan, Ian Claxton, Olivia Byrne and Sean McLoughlin.

Conditions were good with a calm sea and due to the current spell of good weather, it was still warm when the lifeboat arrived on the scene at around 9.50pm.

Once there, the crew brought the casualty who was safe and well onboard the lifeboat and returned with the casualty to the lifeboat station at the New Docks.

Saturday was a busy day for the Galway RNLI Station, as this was the second rescue by the lifeboat yesterday following a launch in the early hours to a casualty who had fallen off a pier in the city. 

Mike Swan, Galway RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said, “It was a busy day, particularly for members of the crew who either went out on the lifeboat on both rescues or provided support on the shore by launching the lifeboat and afterwards washing it down, refuelling and getting it ready for the next call out.”

“We faced two very different scenarios in the past 24 hours and it is a credit to the dedication of our volunteer crew and their commitment to ongoing training that both rescues went so smoothly.”

“Walking around coasts is a very safe activity most of the time. Our advice is to always take a means of calling for help and to check the weather and tides.”

“Tide times and heights vary throughout the month and can easily catch you out if you haven’t checked them. If you get into difficulty or see someone in difficulty, please dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.”