Man critical after he tried to swim from island when his boat capsized

A man is understood to be in critical condition in Cork University Hospital last night after he and two other men tried to swim from an island off the west Cork coast back to the mainland after their boat capsized.

It is understood the men, who are all in their 20s, initially tried to take the boat from Audley Cove, Ballydehob, to Horse Island half a mile away.

The three men got into difficulty when the small craft capsized but they still managed to make it to the island.

However, they then tried to swim to the mainland.

At just after 5.40pm, emergency services were alerted that the men were in the water and in difficulty by a couple on the beach and by a kayaker.

Valentia Coastguard radio tasked the Baltimore inshore lifeboat, the Schull community lifeboat, and the local Goleen rescue services to the scene.

The Baltimore ILB made it to the scene first at just after 6pm and was directed by the kayaker towards the people in the water. It managed to get two people from the water. An ILB spokesman said one of those men was a good swimmer and was keeping his friend’s head above water, adding that “both were desperately hanging on and near exhaustion”. Both casualties were transferred to Baltimore lifeboat for first aid.

The kayaker managed to rescue the third man and brought him into the shore.

Concern centred mainly around one of the men who, according to the rescue services, was hypothermic and had swallowed a considerable amount of seawater.

All three were taken by Shannon rescue helicopter to Cork Airport and transferred to Cork University Hospital.