Breaking: Search for windsurfers off Seven Heads ends with all safely ashore

TWO windsurfers who appeared in difficulty, combined with the discovery of a drifting liferaft off the coast of the Seven Heads peninsula tonight resulted in an operation involving the Coast Guard, the RNLI and the Shannon 115 rescue helicopter.

Vincent O’Donovan of Courtmacsherry RNLI confirmed to The Southern Star that the windsurfers got ashore safely and that the life raft had come from a yacht during the week.

‘It was a case of two incidents in one, really,’ said Mr O’Donovan.

He explained that there were concerns when the liferaft was discovered empty off the coast, around the same time as the windsurfers were reported as being in difficulty.

The windsurfers were in the vicinity of Cow Rock, off Dunworley Bay, but managed to get ashore themselves.

When the liferaft was brought to shore, and the number taken from it, the Coast Guard were able to trace it to a yacht which had lost it three days ago.

The search had involved the Coast Guard, the RNLI lifeboat from Courtmacsherry, a ground unit from the Old Head of Kinsale RNLI and the 115 Shannon rescue helicopter.

Shortly after 9pm the searches were called off when the windsurfers were reported as having come ashore and the liferaft was identified.

‘All’s well that ends well,’ said Mr O’Donovan.

Conditions at sea tonight are relatively difficult with winds of 16 knots and heavy rain off the Seven Heads.