Howth Yacht Club’s Race Management team rescued a swimmer in distress during the opening week of the club’s 2026 keelboat racing season. The incident happened in Malahide Estuary shortly before racing began on Wednesday evening.
Just four minutes before the first start sequence, Dublin Coastguard issued a Pan-Pan alert after a swimmer became stranded in the ebb tide. The swimmer had entered the water from the estuary’s southern shore but was swept across to the northern side and could not return safely.
At the time, the club’s committee vessel, North Star, was anchored near the West mark while race crews completed course setup duties.
Race Management Coxswain Eoin Kernan assessed that the team could safely assist while maintaining race operations. Following consultation with the Race Officer, one of the club RIBs was dispatched to the scene. The RIB was helmed by Evan Banable with Cara Lynch as crew.
From aboard North Star, Kernan coordinated communications with Dublin Coastguard while continuing race management responsibilities. Updated location information allowed the RIB crew to locate the swimmer quickly. Banable and Lynch recovered the swimmer safely from the water and administered first aid after he showed signs of cold exposure.
The swimmer was then transported to Malahide Marina to await Skerries Coastguard and ambulance personnel. The full operation lasted around one hour before the rescue crew returned to the race area.
Dublin Coastguard later praised the response from the Howth Yacht Club team. “Thanks for your quick response, attending, clear reporting, and good updates,” the Coast Guard said. They added, “Please extend our thanks to yourself and also very much to the RIB crew. You were all very professional, and we couldn’t have done this without you.”
The club said the actions of Cara Lynch, Evan Banable and Eoin Kernan reflected “the very best of the club both on and off the water”.
