Gardai have issued a strong warning to persons going for evening strolls on beaches around the State to familiarise themselves with tidal times before leaving the strand. It follows the dramatic rescue of a family who ended up chest high in water while out for a walk with their dog at Sandymount, Dublin.
The couple and their two children were recovering at home yesterday following the ordeal on Wednesday night. A Garda spokesman said they were very shaken. He said they became isolated by the sea and were in obvious danger of drowning. Fortunately they had a mobile phone and called 999 to alert the emergency services including the Irish Coastguard, the gardai and the Dun Laoghaire Lifeboat Station shortly after 9.30 p.m.
Mr Stephen Wynne, Secretary of the Dun Laoghaire Lifeboat Station, said the Dun Laoghaire inshore and all weather lifeboats were dispatched to the scene. They were assisted by a Garda helicopter in locating the family and two gardai who had arrived from Irishtown Garda Station waded out to them. "The tide was flooding very strongly and the situation was not looking good," he said.
He said the inshore lifeboat picked them up and took them to deeper water to the all weather lifeboat, which transported them to Dun Laoghaire, where a waiting ambulance brought them to St Michael's Hospital and on to Tallaght Hospital as a safety precaution.
"We are delighted with the outcome and the way the emergency services came together. It was a very well executed rescue," he said.
"Garda Pat French and Garda Paul Byrne, who waded out to the family before the lifeboats arrived deserve particular credit," he added.
Mr Wynne said the tides come in over Sandymount beach very quickly and people should be aware of this, and keep an eye on what is going on around them, when out walking. "If people are going for a long walk on any very wide beach they should check whether the tide is in or out," he said.
Irish Water Safety spokesman Mr Roger Sweeney said such incidents were common at this time of year. Sand banks were a feature of many beaches around the country and people should be aware of this and that an incoming tide could cut them off on a sand bank. They should heed warning signs on beaches, he said.
"We also have a huge problem with inflatables at the moment but they should not be used in open waters. There have been several incidents over the last few weeks of inflatables being blown out to sea and lifeguards having to rescue them.
"Our lifeguards are also often approached by parents asking them to retrieve empty inflatables but lifeguards are in the business of saving lives not inflatables. It's absolutely crazy," he said.