Two kayakers have been taken to safety after they got into difficulty off the Clare coast this afternoon.
The pair had been kayaking around Crab Island off Doolin in North Clare at the time. They had gone ashore at the island however, with conditions deteriorating, they were unable to make it safely back onto the water.
The alarm was raised at around 7.30pm by a number of members of the public. The Doolin unit of the Irish Coast Guard was tasked and quickly launched a rescue boat and proceeded to the scene.
Conditions at the time were reported to be rough with a 1.5m to 2m sea swell.
The Doolin Coast Guard boat crew was able to get close enough to assist one of the kayakers off the island but with conditions worsening, a helicopter was sought to help with the recovery of the second kayaker.
The Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 115, was tasked to the incident. The second kayaker was airlifted to safety from the island. The helicopter was able to land in a field near the Coast Guard station.
The two kayakers were assessed by a paramedic at the nearby Coast Guard and were found not to be in need of further medical attention.
The operations was coordinated by watch officers at the Irish Coast Guard’s marine rescue coordination centre on Valentia Island in Kerry.
