AN AMERICAN student sparked a full-scale rescue yesterday after paddling a mile and a half out to sea in a tiny boat to photograph a lighthouse, using a stick as an oar.
The man in his 20s, who is taking classes at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Co Cork, set off in rough conditions from nearby Ballyandreen.
The RNLI lifeboat crew at Ballycotton said the Texan would have lost his life in the choppy waters if he hadn't been spotted by a local fisherman.
"A major tragedy was definitely on the cards," said Redmond Lane Walsh, who saw the 10ft punt a half mile off Ballycotton Island in the Atlantic. "If he hadn't been rescued when he was, there would definitely have been a bad outcome.
"No one knew where this guy was and they wouldn't have known if he was missing."
Mr Lane Walsh, a fisherman and RNLI volunteer, noticed the boat as he walked along the Ballycotton pier and quickly alerted his RNLI crewmates. They launched the Austin Lidbury lifeboat, which took just 15 minutes to reach the frightened sailor, who was being pulled farther out to the ocean.
"When we got to him he had no oars, no flares, no mobile phone, lifejacket or safety equipment and nothing to bail out the water," said Mr Lane Walsh. "The wind was picking up and the waves were building so the boat would have foundered. There was no way in which he could alert anyone to let them know he was in trouble."
Apart from some seasickness and shock, the tourist was uninjured.
"People need to use their heads and not treat the sea lightly," said Blathnaid Lane Walsh, RNLI spokeswoman, who is also Redmond's wife. "This man was lucky but people must take all precautions before they go out on the water."
She said the rescue highlights the invaluable work done by the Ballycotton RNLI as it celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. "It just goes to show this is a vital service provided by volunteers and it's also a free service."