Teenager rescued from sea at Sutton

Helicopter and lifeboat crew save boy who got into trouble swimming at Burrow Beach

The alarm was raised before 4.45pm when the teenager got into difficulty in the water at Burrow Beach, Sutton. Photograph:  Bryan O’Brien
The alarm was raised before 4.45pm when the teenager got into difficulty in the water at Burrow Beach, Sutton. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien

A teenage boy was rescued from the sea off Dublin on Sunday afternoon.

The alarm was raised shortly before 4.45pm when the boy got into difficulty in the water at Burrow Beach, Sutton.

It is understood he had been swimming with a group of friends when he went under the water and did not resurface.

A spokesman for the Irish Coastguard said a significant number of 999 calls came through “just before quarter to five”.

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"People were reporting that there was a lot of screaming and panic. We tasked the Howth coastguard and Howth in-shore lifeboat to the scene and they got there just before 5pm. We also sent a helicopter, Rescue 116."

Hovering helicopter

A video posted on Twitter shows the beach was very full at the time with families and individuals enjoying the warm weather, as the helicopter hovered over the water. The video shows a crew member winching down a line towards the water.

The coastguard spokesman said the boy was taken from the water and was “coughing up a lot of water”.

“A paramedic looked over him and he seemed to be okay but was taken to hospital. He’s very lucky.”

Another post on Twitter said: “Rescue helicopter over the Burrow Beach. There was a guy taken away on a stretcher at the golf club end of the beach.”

A Garda spokesman said that “The coast guard took a young person from the water there at 16.45. Not seriously injured, taken to hospital by ambulance.”

Kitty Holland

Kitty Holland

Kitty Holland is Social Affairs Correspondent of The Irish Times