A man and young child were rescued from the sea at Fanore in North Clare over the Bank Holiday weekend. It’s understood the pair were caught in a rip current and got into difficulty.

According to one eyewitness, a person on a paddle board saw that they were in trouble and went to their aid.

In the meantime, a lifeguard on duty at beach at the time also observed the swimmers were in difficulty and jumped into action.

The paddleboarder quickly reached the swimmers who grabbed onto the board. The lifeguard swam out to the pair and helped bring them safely ashore. It’s understood they were shaken but otherwise unharmed and did not require medical attention.

The eyewitness said: “It all happened very quickly. The paddle boarder got to the man and child quickly and the lifeguard swam out in her t-shirt. The rip in Fanore is as bad as I’ve seen anywhere. It can be very deceiving and dangerous.”

Earlier this month a man drowned after getting caught in the rip current in Fanore. The man’s daughter had a lucky escape and managed to swim to safety.