A man is recovering in hospital after he managed to escape from a car that had entered the sea in Co Clare this morning.
The alarm was raised at around 10.00am when it was reported that a car was seen entering the water at Seafield Pier near Quilty.
A group of off-duty Clare Water Safety lifeguards also made their way to the scene when they became aware of the incident. On arrival, they found that a man had managed to escape from the vehicle and was safe.
An ambulance and two units of the fire brigade from Ennistymon responded to the incident along with Gardaí.
Two divers from the local volunteer Burren Sub Aqua Club also travelled to the scene. They were requested to check the car to ensure there was no one else inside. After they completed the dive, it was confirmed there were no other occupants and the emergency services were stood down.
After being assessed at the scene by National Ambulance Service paramedics, the man was taken to University Hospital Limerick for treatment. It’s understood he was not seriously hurt.
A two truck with a crane was later brought in to remove the car from the water. The divers entered the water again to secure the car with a rope before the recovery operation began. The car was removed from the scene shortly after 2.00pm.
Gardaí are investigating the circumstances of the incident.