A man has been hailed a hero for helping two people out of the water after a gangplank collapsed off the pier on Inis Oírr.
The incident happened at approximately 11.45am on Monday morning when the ferry arrived at the pier having departed from Doolin at 11am.
The young woman and middle aged man were rescued out of the water by noon with around thirty to forty people on the pier.
A woman who had just gotten off the Inis Oirr ferry described how the pair fell into the water after the gangplank suddenly collapsed.
“I just happened to be on the ferry, got off literally about two minutes before. The plank slipped off the edge of the pier and two of them went in,” she said.
“The man was in the water for maybe about ten minutes or so.”
Another man climbed down the ladder to give assistance to the woman who was rescued quickly within three minutes, while the man was in the water for ten minutes before making it to safety up the ladder.
“There was one man who was absolutely brilliant. He actually helped the woman out.
“He climbed down the ladder, helped her out and then went into the water and helped the other gentleman who was holding onto a lifebuoy. I’m not sure he could swim.”
A coastguard helicopter landed around 12.30pm but the man was said to be fine and did not get into the helicopter.
Both the man and woman are said to have been ok and escaped without injury.
“He seemed okay after being rescued, probably shocked I’d say. Both of them were pretty shocked.”
The post Hero rescues two people plunged into sea after gangplank collapses appeared first on Connacht Tribune - Galway City Tribune.