Community Notes March 6th

Sea Rescue at Dunworley

A young lady had a lucky escape last week when she got into difficulty while swimming at Dunworley. At full tide she was swept into a sink hole beside the slipway and was unable to swim out due to the tide and current. A passer by noticed her clothes on the bank and on closer inspection heard her cries for help. The emergency services were summoned and local West Cork Underwater Search and Rescue diver Eamonn Barry assisted by the Old Head / Seven Heads Coastguard Unit together with the National Ambulance Service and Rescue 115 helicopter personnel successfully brought the woman to safety. The rescue was co-ordinated by Valentia Station with the Courtmacsherry Lifeboat and An Garda Siochana also on the scene. Local member of the coastguard unit, James Barry, a first cousin of Eamonn’s was also on duty during this successful rescue.

Members of the public are asked to exercise extreme caution if entering the water at Dunworley beach at present. There has been a major shift in sand at the beach of late with the formation of a large sandbank which makes the surface very uneven. There are also RIP Currents present and the news from the experts is that swimming there at the moment should be avoided if possible due to the dangerous conditions that exist.