An air and sea search, mounted in Galway Bay this afternoon, has been stood down.
It’s understood the alarm was raised in good faith when a person reported a swimmer missing off Ballyloughnane beach near Renmore Barracks in Galway City.
Shortly before 4.00pm, the Galway RNLI inshore lifeboat was tasked by watch officers at the Irish Coast Guard’s marine rescue coordination centre on Valentia Island in Kerry.
Staff at Valentia also issued a Pan-Pan radio message requesting any vessels in the area to assist in the search operation. The skipper of at least one private boat who had heard the radio call, jumped into action.
The Irish Coast Guard’s Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter, Rescue 115, joined the search immediately after completing another mission from the Aran Islands to University Hospital Galway.
Units of Galway Fire and Rescue Service from Galway City also responded to Ballyloughnane along with Gardaí.
A comprehensive land, air and sea search was carried out but was stood down shortly before 6.00pm. It’s now believed that a report of a person in difficulty in the sea off Renmore Barracks was made in good faith and that the swimmer had made ashore safely. The incident is being treated as a ‘false alarm with good intent.’
