TWO people cut off by rising tides were rescued from an Irish beach by the RNLI on Sunday.
The alarm was raised at 4.30pm when the pair found themselves surrounded by rising water at Sandymount Strand in Dublin, with two more hours of incoming water due and darkness setting in.
After being spotted by a Coast Guard shore unit, the RNLI Dun Laoghaire inshore lifeboat was launched at 4.45pm and was on the scene within 10 minutes.
With the boat unable to reach the casualties due to the depth of water, a crew member walked the remaining distance to reach the pair, who were standing on a sandbank.
They were brought on board before being landed at Pigeon House Road beach at Ringsend, where they were looked after by Coast Guard personnel.
Busy Bank Holiday Sunday in Dublin Bay
This afternoon a small craft experienced engine trouble just off the West Pier...
Posted by Dun Laoghaire Coast Guard on Sunday, October 29, 2017
The Irish Coast Guard's SAR helicopter 116, based at Dublin Airport, was also tasked during the 90-minute rescue, before being stood down when the casualties were located.
The call-out was the third for the crew on a busy Bank Holiday weekend.
Earlier on Sunday, the RNLI lifeboat came to the aid of a motorboat that had lost power just outside Dun Laoghaire Harbour and was drifting towards rocks with two people on board.
The lifeboat crew deployed the stricken boat’s anchor to prevent it drifting further before towing it back to Dun Laoghaire Marina.
On Saturday evening meanwhile, RNLI Dun Laoghaire’s all-weather lifeboat was called out to rescue three people on a 60-foot motor yacht that had lost its main engine amid strong winds.
60 foot cruising motor yacht brought to safety in near gale conditions by our @RNLI All Weather lifeboat on Dublin Bay. All well. pic.twitter.com/BRQsp72yB5
— DunLaoghaireLifeboat (@RNLIDunLaoghair) 28 October 2017