Forty Foot Swimmer Taken to Hospital After Rescue from Big Seas

5th May 2023

The Dun Laoghaire Coastguard team rescued a swimmer in difficulty at the Forty Foot bathing place on Dublin Bay along with Rescue 116 helicopter, RNLI Dun Laoghaire Lifeboat Stations ALB and ILB, the National Ambulance Service (NAS) Paramedics, Dublin Fire Brigade Paramedics & Advance Paramedics and An Garda Síochána Credit: Dun Laoghaire Coastguard

A sea swimmer was taken to hospital after being rescued by the emergency services on Dublin Bay on Thursday afternoon.

The swimmer got into difficulty in big seas off the Forty Foot bathing place.

The RNLI Dun Laoghaire Lifeboat Station inshore lifeboat crew recovered the swimmer from the sea and brought the casualty to the Coast Guard crew at Sandycove Beach.

The Dun Laoghaire Coastguard team responded along with Rescue 116 helicopter, RNLI Dun Laoghaire Lifeboat Stations ALB and ILB, the National Ambulance Service (NAS) Paramedics, Dublin Fire Brigade Paramedics & Advance Paramedics and An Garda Síochána.

Immediate medical treatment commenced on the beach, and the casualty was transported to hospital in a 'very serious condition', according to the Coastguard.

Dun Laoghaire Coastguard said" "Conditions were not ideal for swimming due to Easterly winds. Please exercise caution when making a decision to swim. Any doubt, don’t swim!".

Last night seas remained big on Dublin Bay, forcing the cancellation of DBSC's Thursday night racing.

Published in Forty Foot Swimming, Sea Swim, Coastguard, RNLI Lifeboats

Published in Forty Foot Swimming

Tagged under

Forty Foot

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Forty Foot Swimming Spot on Dublin Bay

The 'Forty Foot' is a rocky outcrop located at the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove, County Dublin from which people have been swimming in the Irish Sea all year round for 300 years or more. It is popular because it is one of few spots between Dublin city and Greystones in County Wicklow that allows for swimming at all stages of the tide, subject to the sea state.

Forty Foot History

Traditionally, the bathing spot was exclusively a men's bathing spot and the gentlemen's swimming club was established to help conserve the area.

Owing to its relative isolation and gender-specific nature it became a popular spot for nudists, but in the 1970s, during the women's liberation movement, a group of female equal-rights activists plunged into the waters and now it is also open to everyone and it is in the control of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Many people believe that swimming in extremely cold water is healthy and good for the immune system.

Is it safe to swim at the Forty Foot?

The Forty-Foot is a great place to swim because there is always enough water to get a dip but like all sea swimming, there are always hazards you need to be aware of. For example, a lot of people like to dive into to the pool at the Forty-foot but there are submerged rocks that can be hazardous especially at low water. The Council have erected signs to warn people of the underwater dangers. Other hazards include slippy granite cut stone steps that can often be covered with seaweed and of course marine wildlife including jellyfish that make their presence felt in the summer months as do an inquisitive nearby Sandycove seal colony.