Lucky escape for boat angler
The incident happened shortly before midday in Kilkee in west Clare when the man in his 50s was making his way out of the bay in a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) to go fishing. The man, believed to be from Co Limerick, was tossed out of the craft before he had a chance to connect his kill-switch toggle or don his lifejacket.
The toggle connects an operator to a “deadman switch” on a boat which cuts off the engine if that person falls overboard. In this case, however, the man was thrown into the sea leaving the unmanned RIB circling uncontrollably in the bay.
A passing motorist spotted the boat travelling in circles and raised the alarm. When members of the Kilkee Marine Rescue Service arrived at the scene they could see no one in the boat and feared the occupant may have been hit by the boat and dragged under. They quickly launched their own rescue craft and raced to the scene.
In the meantime, the rescue services received a further call about a swimmer in difficulty in the bay. The man was seen swimming towards the base of the cliffs beneath the local golf club. Rescue crews quickly mobilised to the location where they discovered the man had made it ashore unharmed.
