Lifejacket saved my life, says angler Colm Plunkett

An experienced fisherman swept off rocks in West Cork said yesterday if he had not been wearing a lifejacket he would be dead.

Colm Plunkett spoke for the first time about last weekend’s ordeal and how he wanted to warn those fishing on the shoreline to always be well prepared with safety equipment in case of an emergency.

The 53-year-old nurse from Birr, Co Offaly, was hit by a rogue wave while fishing near Dursey, off the Beara Peninsula last Sunday.

Shortly after midday he was swept into the sea. Fortunately his daughter, Orlaith, 16, had accompanied him on the fishing trip and she immediately alerted the coastguard.

Colm, who works at the in-patient cancer and blood disorder unit at Tullamore General Hospital, said that while he came from a land-locked area he always had a love of water and knew its dangers.

“I have been fishing for years and I love sea fishing. I’m experienced with the water and since I was a teenager I was boating on the Shannon,” he said.

He always wears a lifejacket and when swept into the water it immediately inflated.

Despite this he was deluged by waves, which made it very hard to breathe.

He said that for 30 of the 55 minutes he was in the water he was fighting to get air into his lungs.

It was also fortunate that the current eventually pushed him back towards land and not out to sea.

But by then exhaustion had set in and hypothermia was taking hold, depleting his energy and preventing him for being able to make it ashore.

When rescued at around 1.15pm, the coastguard told him he was the first angler they had rescued with a lifejacket on.

Colm has advised other sea anglers not only to wear a lifejacket but to take a splash hood with them , which would have preven- ted water getting into his lungs, and to carry a PLB (personal location beacon) when near water.