Heroic teens rescue man clinging to buoy

Tragedy was avoided on Monday evening when five heroic teenagers rescued a man clinging to a buoy off the Fountainstown coast.

The five youths, all 16 years old, were first on the scene when they responded to an emergency pan-pan radio call from the Coast Guard.

It is understood the teenagers had been fishing in a rib in White Bay when they received the call. Richard McSweeney, Jamie Venner, Cillian Foster, Kate Horgan and Harry Pritchard have been hailed as heroes for their quick actions.

The man, whose son had already been taken to safety by a local kayaker, was taken to nearby Fountainstown Beach and handed into the care of the Crosshaven Coast Guard. It is not clear how the father and son ended up in the water.

The Crosshaven RNLI arrived on the scene shortly after both casualties had been taken ashore. The man and his son were then taken by helicopter to CUH for a check-up.

The five teenagers, three of whom have family connections to the local RNLI, have been hailed for their bravery and swift response.

Following the incident, the Crosshaven RNLI released a statement commending the five youngsters for “acting so professionally and swiftly”.

“Our future is safe in their hands,” the statement read.