A man has been airlifted to hospital after he was recovered from the Shannon Estuary during a major search operation this morning.
The man is understood to have been in the water for almost two hours and was spotted by the crew of the Waterford-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 117.
He is reported to be suffering from severe hypothermia.
The alarm was raised shortly after 9am when a person was reported overboard from the Killimer-to-Tarbert ferry. The vessel’s crew immediately started a search of the area while the Irish Coast Guard was alerted. A second ferry also joined the search.
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Watch officers at the Coast Guard’s marine rescue co-ordination centre on Valentia Island in Kerry mounted a significant search-and-rescue operation.
The nearby Kilrush RNLI inshore lifeboat was mobilised while the Kilkee unit of the Irish Coast Guard dispatched a team by road to assist in the search.
Rescue 117 was tasked from its base in Waterford while the Fenit RNLI all-weather lifeboat was also requested to make its way to the scene along with the Ballybunion Sea and Cliff Rescue unit. Ballybunion Coast Guard was also involved.
A number of vessels that were in the area at the time, including several yachts taking part in a local event, and the Shannon Pilot boat also joined the effort. Vessels in the area that were in a position to assist in the search were requested to do so.
Shortly before 11am, the crew of Rescue 117 reported seeing someone in the water a short distance west of the ESB’s Tarbert Power station on the Kerry shore. Nearby search vessels were alerted and requested to make their way to the location.
The helicopter’s winchman/paramedic recovered the casualty and he was flown to University Hospital Limerick.
Once it was confirmed the casualty had been located, the search operation was stood down.
