A man was rescued from the Shannon Estuary this afternoon after his jet-ski broke down leaving him drifting dangerously close to a busy shipping channel.
The alarm was raised at around 3.15pm when the man called the Irish Coast Guard to report that he was in difficulty in the Estuary about 100 metres from the Limerick shore between Foynes and Glin.
Watch officers at the Coast Guard’s marine rescue sub centre on Valentia Island in Kerry alerted Kilrush RNLI in Co Clare. The volunteer crew launched from their station at Cappagh and proceeded to the last location the man had indicated.
In the meantime, the lone jet-skier contacted the Coast Guard again to report that he was drifting further out into the Estuary. It had been feared that the jet-ski could drift into the path of a passing cargo vessel.
The Shannon Estuary is a busy shipping channel with cargo ships making their way into and out of ports including Limerick City and Foynes as a well as the Aughinish Alumina refinery and the ESB power station at Moneypoint.
The lifeboat crew quickly located the man and after checking that he was unharmed, took the jet-ski on tow to Kilteery Pier in Limerick. Once RNLI volunteers were satisfied the man was ashore safely and was unharmed, they were able to stand down and return to their station.
It’s understood the jet-ski suffered engine problems.
