Six people rescued at Rocky Bay after being cut off by the tide

Six people had to be wenched by rescue helicopter R117 at Rocky Bay this afternoon after they got cut off by the tide at the popular beach.

At around 4pm this afternoon a member of the public rang 999 reporting that six people cut off by the tide at Rocky Bay.

An Irish Coast Guard spokesperson told The Southern Star that the Valentia Coast Guard co-ordination centre tasked both Oysterhaven Coast Guard and Crosshaven Coast Guard to the scene as well as the R117 which came from Waterford.

'The Coast Guard ended up wenching the six people from the bottom of the cliff up to the top of the cliff.  There were no casualties and no medical assistance was required.

Meanwhile,  The Courtmacsherry All Weather Trent Class RNLI Lifeboat  Frederick Story Cockburn was called out this afternoon Sunday at 3.40 pm, as persons reported a surfer in difficulties off Garrylucas Beach near the Old Head of Kinsale.

Once the crew bleepers were activated by Valentia Radio, the Courtmacsherry Lifeboat under Coxswain Ken Cashman and crew of 6  were underway from their moorings in the harbour within minutes and proceeded at full speed to the area of the causality.  Conditions at sea today were windy with a good swell in open seas. The Lifeboat reached the coastline off Garrylucas within 20 minutes of being called out and proceeded to carry out a detailed search of the area while the Old Head & Seven Heads Coast Guard unit searched from the shoreline.  The area was comprehensively searched over the next 40 minutes and once there was no finding of anybody in difficulties , the search operation was stood down.

This was the third callout over the weekend for their lifeboat following a callout to a swimmer in Broadstrand on Friday evening and another callout on Saturday morning, both under Coxswain Mark Gannon, when the Lifeboat crew were on their weekly crew training exercise, they were call to go to the aid of four persons in difficulties off Garrettstown strand.  Thankfully the swimmers were rescued by nearby surfers as the Lifeboat reached the area.