Kayakers save life of ‘lucky’ man found floating in sea

A man in his 60s was said to be “lucky to be alive” after he was found floating in a semi-conscious state in the sea off Co Clare on Saturday.

A group of kayakers setting off from Seafield Pier near Quilty spotted the lifeless body on the surface as they passed by.

The alarm was raised shortly after 10.30am and emergency services responded while the kayakers pulled the man from the water and brought him to the slipway.

The man is believed to have fallen into the water from the pier but was unable to get back out.

The Kilkee unit of the Irish Coast Guard and a HSE ambulance from Ennistymon responded to the incident.

Rescue teams and ambulance paramedics found that the man had been brought ashore by the kayakers.

It’s understood that the National Ambulance Service (NAS) made a decision that the man should travel to hospital by road ambulance and the helicopter was stood down.

An advanced paramedic arrived from Ennis and further assessed the patient. It was then decided the man be airlifted to hospital as a precaution. One onlooker said: “The whole thing was a bit scary after what happened here during the week. We were all down here on Wednesday when a friend of ours was brought in. Unfortunately he didn’t make it.

“It’s been a horrible week here in Quilty and we didn’t want another tragedy.”

Last Wednesday, the body of 20-year-old Stephen Mungovan was recovered from the sea a short distance from the scene of Saturday’s near tragedy.