Woman rescued from sea as multi-agency operation launched

A woman was rescued from the sea this morning after getting into difficulty while swimming off the Black Rock at Spanish Point. The alarm was raised at around 11.30am when emergency services received a report of a person in trouble.

Watch officers at the Irish Coast Guard’s marine rescue sub-centre on Valentia Island in Kerry mounted a multi-agency search and rescue operation involving the Kilkee unit of the Coast Guard, Clare County Fire and Rescue Service, National Ambulance Service, RNLI and An Garda Síochána.

A man walking on the beach at the time is understood to have entered the water and helped the woman ashore. It’s believed the woman, thought to be in her 60s, got into difficulty after finding herself out of her depth.

The Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 115, and the Aran Islands RNLI lifeboat were also tasked but were stood down when it was confirmed that the woman had been brought ashore. The Kilkee Coast Guard rescue boat was also preparing to launch when it was stood down.

Other Irish Coast Guard teams from Kilkee station travelled to the scene by road along with fire crews from Ennistymon while an ambulance was dispatched from Limerick. It’s understood this was the closest National Ambulance Service resource available at the time.

The woman was assessed and treated at the scene for suspected shock and hypothermia by Coast Guard and fire service first responders until ambulance paramedics arrived. The woman was further assessed by paramedics but did not require hospitalisation.