The Coast Guard described the surfer as a ‘hero’
A warning sign at Inch Beach in East Cork (Image: Daire Fitton)
With the weather taking a turn for the better over the last week, people have started hitting the beaches here in Cork, and this weekend, the actions of one brave surfer averted a potential tragedy.
The Guileen Coast Guard were called out to Inch Beach in East Cork on Saturday afternoon following reports that a teenager had become caught in a rip current along the popular strand. Units rushed to the scene, but by the time they arrived, a surfer had managed to rescue the young lad and bring him safely back to shore.
The teenager had become separated from his bodyboard while out swimming, and a rip current had pulled him to the western side of the beach. The surfer spotted the teen in distress and went after him, using their board to bring him back to the shoreline.
Once the Coast Guard arrived, they carried out a brief assessment and determined that the teenager needed no further medical assistance. They commended the surfer for their actions, describing them as a ‘silent hero’
A spokesperson for the Guileen Coast Guard said: “The Guileen Coast Guard Unit were tasked today at 13.16 to reports of a person in difficulty in the water at Inch Beach.
“Arrived on scene to find the 14-year-old had been rescued by a surfer who brought him ashore. The casualty had become separated from his body board and got pulled to the western side of the Beach by a rip current. The casualty was checked out by members of the Guileen unit, and he needed no further assistance. The surfers once again were the silent heroes.”
The Coast Guard reminded the public that if they ever see someone in trouble in the water, call 112 or 999 and ask for the Coast Guard
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen such an act of heroism at Inch Beach. In 2024, Stephen O’Callaghan tragically lost his life after he rushed to save the lives of six people who were struggling in the water after being pulled out to sea by a rip current.
The heroic 55-year-old saved the life of a ten-year-old boy, and his nephew, Eoghan O’Callaghan, managed to bring the boy’s eight-year-old brother to safety.
Two other children, both aged ten, and two women were helped to the shore by members of the local surf club and other locals at the scene who had rushed to their assistance. If it were not for the heroic actions of Stephen and other brave bystanders, more lives could have been lost that day.