A SURFER WAS rescued by members of the Courtmacsherry Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) today after getting into difficulty in offshore wind and difficult sea conditions. 

The surfer had encountered trouble while surfing off Garrettstown beach in West Cork. The Courtmacsherry All Weather RNLI Lifeboat, named Val Adnams, was called out at 11:35am this morning to aid the surfer after his fellow surfer raised the alarm.

A separate local surfer aided the operation by giving the man in difficulty a bigger board to hold onto as he was blown out to sea. 

Coxswain Ken Cashman and a crew made up of five others, including father and son Denis and Taylor Murphy, located the man and successfully brought him safely on board the lifeboat. 

Coxswain Ken Cashman, Mechanic Dave Philips and crew Peter Nunan, Niamh Hurley and father and son Denis and Taylor Murphy were on board during today's callout. Vincent O Donovan / Courtmacsherry RNLI Vincent O Donovan / Courtmacsherry RNLI / Courtmacsherry RNLI

He was assessed, then brought back to Courtmacsherry Pier and taken to the Lifeboat Station and reunited with his fellow surfer shortly before 1pm, a spokesman for the station said.

The Old Head / Seven Heads Coast Guard unit coordinated the search on the shoreline.

Station Launch Authority Philip White said, “It was great to have twelve of our Lifeboat crew arrive so quickly this morning as minutes mattered on a callout like this.”

White said that it was incredibly important that the rescue authorities were alerted quickly this morning to the surfer in difficulty, and stressed the importance of calling 999 or 112 and asking for the Coast Guard in such situations.