Water safety must be priority - Seven rescued from danger

SUNNY weather has finally arrived with temperatures up and the prospect of one of the best summers in years. That will invariably mean taking to the great outdoors, to the waters and the wild. Schoolchildren on holidays are also enjoying summer camps and family breaks.

Even with the weather forecast for the rest of the week indicating scattered showers and dull conditions, it is still generally warm enough to entice the wimpiest of us to go swimming or boating.

But be careful out there as danger lurks, particularly for those who enjoy kayaking, a sport that has grown in popularity in recent years.

A woman had to be rescued over the weekend in Liscannor Bay when she fell into the water after her kayak capsized. Last Thursday, a father and son almost came to grief in their kayak in Galway Bay.

That same evening, four teenagers had to be rescued while attempting to swim across Kilkee Bay in choppy conditions. They were spotted from the roadway by passers-by.

In all three cases, the rescue services were alerted and there were no injuries but some people taking part in water sports have not been so lucky.

An average of 23 people die in accidental drownings each year along the coast of Ireland.

Don’t make it 24.