Four swimmers suffer mild hypothermia after being saved from rip currents off Dublin
The RNLI in Skerries has rescued four swimmers in difficulty off the coast of Dublin.
They were alerted shortly before midday after Dublin Coast Guard got reports that a number of swimmers were caught in a rip current in a local swimming area known as The Springers and were unable to get back to shore.
Skerries RNLI volunteers found four casualties in the water spread over a large area in between Red Island headland and Colt Island, and began bringing them into the lifeboat with a large sea swell running.
Skerries Coast Guard were also involved and the Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116 stood by.
The four people were suffering from fatigue and early symptoms of hypothermia, so one of the Skerries RNLI volunteers, Philip Ferguson, had to get into the sea to help them get on board.
The lifeboat returned to the station where the four swimmers were assessed, monitored and treated for mild hypothermia before leaving the station fit and well.
Gerry Canning, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Skerries RNLI, said: "Rip currents are a major cause of accidental drowning on beaches across the world. Even if you know an area well, the currents may change based on the weather and tides.
"The speed of response is crucial in cases like this and our volunteers did an excellent job in getting there as safely and quickly as possible."
