#RNLI - Galway RNLI rescued a man who got into difficulty after his dinghy capsized on Galway Bay yesterday afternoon (Sunday 18 February).
The incident happened off Hare Island shortly before 1pm, when a member of the public saw the man was unable to right the 15ft vessel and notified the Irish Coast Guard, who requested the assistance of the RNLI lifeboat.
Galway’s inshore lifeboat launched from Galway Docks at 1.15pm and located the man as he was swimming towards the shore. He was cold and shaken by his ordeal, and the lifeboat crew brought him to the station to administer first aid.
The man recovered a short time later and did not need to be hospitalised.
Galway RNLI subsequently retrieved the dinghy and towed it safely back to Galway Docks, ending the rescue operation at 2.15pm.
Deputy launch authority Barry Heskin advises members of the public to dress adequately for the weather conditions and to always notify a family member or friends of expected time of arrival.
The volunteer lifeboat crew on this callout were Dave Oliver, John O’Sullivan, Ros Forde and Kenneth Kitterick.