Two 10-year-old children walked to safety minutes after a rescue mission was launched in Tramore yesterday afternoon when it was feared that their lives were in danger from the incoming tide.
The children were understood to be alone on the Backstrand, which is well known for its cockle beds and is a popular area for walkers, when the alarm was raised at 3.30 p.m. yesterday. A 999 call was made to the Irish Coastguard, and within minutes the air-sea rescue helicopter was launched from Waterford Regional Airport.
A unit of the Tramore-based Coastguard service was also alerted and the Tramore lifeboat. Both were on their way across Tramore Bay but were stood down before they arrived at the scene when it emerged that the children had walked to safety.
The area in which the children were thought to be in difficulty is separated from Tramore's main beach by sand dunes.
A spokesman for the RNLI in Tramore said that within 15 minutes of the 999 call, the children were reported safe and well. The helicopter circled Tramore Bay but was not required.