Cork RNLI responded to two urgent calls on Valentine’s Day, rescuing a dog and a surfer in challenging sea conditions.
The first call came around 5:20 PM. A dog went into the water by Garretstown cliffs. The team had dinner plans, but they responded quickly. Sea conditions were bad.
Visibility was also poor for the crew. They searched the area for over an hour. At 6:30 PM, the search stopped. The dog likely found a small, hard-to-reach cave. Thankfully, it made it to safety alone.
The RNLI team refueled their lifeboat, “Val Adnams.” Then, they got another call about a surfer. This surfer needed help near Garretstown beach. The same crew rushed there. They saw the surfer reached the shore safely. The team returned to Courtmacsherry. They finally got home around 7:30 PM.
Ken Cashman led the crew as Coxswain. Dave Philips, Kevin Young, and Tadgh McCarthy were also on board. Luke Hanley and Tom Kelly helped too. It was Tom Kelly’s first day; he had two calls.
Brian O Dwyer manages lifeboat operations. He said quick reporting helps a lot. Sea conditions and shoreline were bad that day. He urged people to call 112 or 999 if they see trouble.