Three teenagers and a horse were rescued in two separate incidents by the same volunteer lifeboat crew in Cork yesterday.
Kinsale RNLI were tasked this afternoon to help three teenagers after one of them got into difficulties while swimming off Sandycove Island.
The teens had been jumping off cliffs and it’s understood one of them, Sam van Deventer, suffered lower leg injuries during one of the jumps.
He couldn’t make his way to safety and his friends helped keep him afloat while onlookers raised the alarm.
They had been wearing wetsuits but were all at risk of hypothermia.
They were all picked up by the lifeboat crew within 30-minutes and were taken back to base where a preliminary medical assessment was conducted by trained RNLI personnel and nurse Emer Scannell who was visiting a crew member.
The casualty was taken by ambulance to hospital for further observation.
Earlier in the day, the lifeboat crew rescued a horse named Paddy that got into difficulties in the Bandon River, close to an equestrian centre.
The horse’s hoof was trapped in the framework of an oyster bed as the tide was turning.
A member of the lifeboat crew had to dive under the water and release the panicked animal. After several attempts, Paddy was safely returned to the shore, much to the relief of his owners.
Members of Kinsale RNLI rescuing Paddy the horse
Kevin Gould, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Kinsale RNLI lifeboat station, said: “We urge everyone to exercise extreme caution on or near the water, particularly at this time of year when the sea is so treacherous.
"On days like today our RNLI training proves invaluable and we are all relieved that both call-outs ended well.
“Today’s rescues give a new meaning to the expression ‘surf and turf’.”
