Teens Rescue Father And Son From Water In Cork
Highlights from The Pat Kenny Show- 1,381 views
- 24 Aug 2020
Richard Mc sweeney joined Pat on the show to tell how he and his friends Jamie venner, Kate Horgan, Harry Pritchard rescued a father and his son after they got into difficulty on the water in Cork.
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Right, you tell it off and up to bat. No, I never go back to 30 now. I'm not even tired, I promise. Make it easy on yourself, John, and just let her stay up. No, we said we're getting back to the usual routine. Looks like I have to be the bad guy again.
Five more minutes, please.
Remember what we agreed about a routine. You can finish watching that tomorrow.
It takes a hero to be the bad guy. Healthy routines start with sleep to get bedtime back on track and start your kids on the way to a healthier life for more ways to start. Does it make a start that I brought to you by, say, for the HSC and Healthy Ireland? That Pat Kenny show on Newstalk. Yeah, you may have heard that five teens rushed to help a man swept out to sea off the coast near Rochus Point yesterday as he clung to a marker buoy after attempting to help his own son, who had himself been swept out on an inflatable dinghy.
We have on the line Ruth McSweeny, who's the mother of Richard, one of the brave young people who went out to rescue the man and to help him. We also have Richard on the line. Good morning to you both.
Richard, can you describe Richard, can you describe the scene and how it unfolded? And so basically, it all started around dinnertime, really, I mean, my friends were at US troops just fishing and having a laugh, and then we heard on the radio that someone in a certain direction was in trouble with the toys and their son was there with them. And they were like holding on to a boy and they were getting swept out to sea. So obviously, you know, we went over straightaway to see if we can give a hand with anything.
And then you were the first ones to show up. So we ended up taking the man. The son was already taken in by a local and in the kayak. And then we helped pull the dad onto the boat and brought him in to shore into politics and the guards and intercutting airlift and hospital. So you guys were in a rib, so you were under power. Yeah, yeah, yeah, so when and you obviously were equipment, the radio, in case anything should happen to you guys and you could raise the alert.
So there was yourself, Richard and Jamie and Killian and Kate and Harry all together fishing at what sort of a day was it for fishing?
Was it calm? And well, we only just really went out for about five minutes before we left, so we never actually did any provocation and we just kind of sat there and it was it was coming off. But there's no fish recourse, no fish were caught.
And were you conscious that there was a wind that might, you know, have the potential to blow people out to see? And yeah, but they don't. It was the storm it passed there, that was two days before him. So we went out and it was yeah, it was perfectly fine to. Now, when you then went to the to help the man who was there clinging to the boy, what sort of a state was he in?
Well, my friend actually took them out of the water and he was like purple and blue that's over the coals and he was shivering and he couldn't talk and he fell off the boat getting into the paramedics. He was so called. OK, so already they obviously were suffering from some degree of hypothermia because they've been in the water for a while. Do we have any idea how long they were in the in the water?
Well, I think from when the call went in to when we actually got there, I think he was holding on to the boy for like 20 minutes alone. And that's not including, you know, when he first met with some sort of. OK, so he was in the water for quite a while, relieved, I'm sure, to see his son being picked up by the kayaker, but then he's there hanging on and I'm sure his fingers getting colder and colder, worrying time.
But anyway, you got him into the rib with some difficulty and got him back to the shore.
What happened then? And well, as we dropped him off like that, was it really for us? So he started going back and then the life I was on was arriving as we were leaving. And my friend was my friend's dad was on the boat, the lifeboat for the call. So we stopped and talked to them and gave them a run over what happened and what we did. And then. But bottom line, OK? And they brought father and son up to I believe there was some sort of a campfire going on the beach and they were able to get them a bit warmed up there and wrap them in those foil blankets to keep them warm and get them medical attention.
Have you ever had to do anything like this before, Richard?
Well, earlier in the day, there was a boat broke down. So me hurry in case the toes back into the marina and cross Avon.
So if an eventful day certainly was, I presume at this point you guys are fairly experienced sailors, you know, to do your fishing on the rib and so on. And, you know, be prepared for all eventualities.
Yeah, completely. We all have our life jackets, the VHF, you know, recent experience, the water. And so we know we're safe where isn't and what to do if something goes wrong. And so you did yesterday, well done to you, Richard, and to Jamie and Kelly and and Kate and Harry.
Now, Ruth, when you heard news of this adventure where you unsure yourself or you way at home.
I was at home at the time and I had been ringing Richards to check out where they were. I couldn't get Richard, so I spoke to Jamie on his mobile and he just happened to mention that they had to respond to the Panpan called Unver leaving like they had been across the harbor over to the side where the person was in the water. And I spoke with them as they are en route to the casualty. And so I just hung up the phone and just told them to be careful and to be safe.
And and they want me back then that they had when they had left the scene. Then afterwards, I was at home in the drawing room with and waiting for news.
Obviously, you've brought your family up to be good sailors. They had no choice there. I have two sons, they were both sailing while I was pregnant. And so, yeah, we've got them up on the water. Richard's a very competent swimmer, as well as the Dolphins Swimming Club in Cork here. So we're a family that are either on the water or in the water, to be honest with you. And safety is always paramount, always ensuring that they have their life jackets on them if they're ever going out party boarding or, you know, I was on the way up or sailing or anything.
So, yes, very, very good connections to the water.
So they got their sea legs even in the womb. So that's exactly what happened. But as a mother, you'd always be concerned, you know, even though you have great confidence in their abilities and so on, the sea can be a cruel mistress.
Very much so, very much so, I myself would have been sailing from a very young age as well, so it's been instilled in us to be very cautious and never take anything for granted when it comes to the sea. And so the bunch of of the five of them around the world together are all sailing together since they were very, very young and likewise families that would be very safety conscious. I never take the sea for granted. So a mixture of, I'm sure, pride and that what they did yesterday was the right thing and also confidence in their abilities completely, completely.
And even Richard was saying to me a while ago, before he went on Air Force One, we just did what we have to do, you know, so it was just innate in them that they went off and and helped something like that. So, yes, I am a very proud, proud mother. This morning I looked at first plus, you know, also delight in the fact that they're not how would would to life and the fact that they just went into this without even thinking twice about it.
Yeah, they thought of the poor man and his son in the water before it ever even thinking about their own well-being off they went to do the right thing.
Congratulations to Richard and his pals yet again. And Ruth, thank you very much for talking to us on the program and sharing a good news story from the water. Thank you very much indeed.
Thanks. Bye bye.