Close call for young man and his boat rescued from the River Shannon

A man on a boat has been pulled to safety by emergency services after the vessel was found drifting out of control on the River Shannon tonight.

The man, in his early 20s, had been attempting to go up the Abbey River, Limerick City, when the boat was washed back by a raging current around 6.15pm.

The boat was washed into Arthur's Quay near the Hunt Museum where the man was rescued by members of the Limerick City Fire and Rescue Service.

A passer by contacted the emergency services.

Twelve members of the fire service, including trained swift water rescue technicians responded to the scene.

"The initial call was that there was a man in the water. Two ambulances were dispatched, and three fire tenders attended the scene," said a source.

Members of Limerick Marine Search and Rescue Service also aided in the rescue.

"There was just one guy on the boat. He may have miscalculated the tide, he was trying to go up the Abbey River, but he got washed back on the current," the source said.

The fire service responded within three minutes and transferred the casualty to the fire service boat which towed the man's boat to safety.

The man was assessed by paramedics at the scene but did not need any medical treatment