Honours for West Cork’s sea heroes

THREE West Cork women who rescued four men who had got into difficulty while swimming at Inchydoney beach earlier this summer were honoured this week.

Niamh McMahon, Beth Darrer and Lynn McCarthy all received Seiko Just in Time awards at the Water Safety Ireland’s National Awards held virtually for the first time on Tuesday evening.

The three worked together on May 27^th last to help the men when they heard shouts for help while on the beach.

Inchydoney also featured in another rescue when three friends – Connell O’Herlihy, Nathan Holding and Cathal Keohane ­– rescued a father and son who got into difficulty while swimming in the sea on June 24^th 2019. They also  received Seiko Just in Time awards for their efforts.

Five teenagers who rescued a father and son from an inflatable device on August 28^th last  at Fountainstown were also honoured. Jamie Venner, Cillian Foster, Richard McSweeney, Kate Horgan and Harry Pritchard were out on a fishing trip when they spotted a man in the water who was trying to rescue his son whose inflatable device was drifting out to sea. They helped the man onto their boat, while the boy managed to make it back to shore himself.

Meanwhile, Castletownbere-based Gda David Fenton also received an award when he came to the rescue of a woman in distress in the water at the pier in Castletownbere. A member of the RNLI, Gda Fenton entered the water and kept her calm in the water until a small local boat was launched by two men. He managed to get her safely onto the boat. She was taken to hospital where she made a full recovery.