A Letterkenny-based fitness coach has been commended for his outstanding bravery after saving three teenage girls from near-drowning at Rathmullan.
The frightening incident occurred on Sunday last, when three teenagers got into difficulty in the water near the pier.
Ruairi Crealey, a Dublin man now living in Letterkenny, was at the beach with his family when he noticed three girls struggling in the water. One of the girls was completely submerged.
Ruairi swam out and got hold of two of the girls, while the third gripped onto the leg of one of the others.
Ruairi battled the current and deep water with difficulty but eventually managed to bring the girls to shore on his own.
The girls from Strabane, all aged 11, are doing well after the ordeal.
“Three young girls’ lives were saved this weekend thanks to Ruairi’s quick actions,” said Mayor of Letterkenny-Milford Donal ‘Mandy’ Kelly.
“We need to make more people aware of the dangers in this area. We are lucky that we got the warning this time, but only for Ruairi, this could have been a lot worse.
“I am thinking on the girls, Eve, Saoirse and Lily-Mae and their families too. We are all very grateful that this did not turn into a tragedy.”
Cllr Kelly has been looking into the cause of the incident, which occurred in a non-lifeguarded area of the beach.
There are ‘no swimming’ signs warning people not to swim within 30m from the pier.
“There is signage, but they do not say why people should not swim here,” Cllr Kelly said.
“It seems that the three girls may have been out for a dip, walking on the sand, but there was a sudden drop. This is what happened Ruairi too, as he was able to walk out some distance to them but the next thing the floor went from under him and he was out of his depth.”
The Mayor has been in contact with the coastal officer of Donegal County Council to ask for more signs to be erected to warn people of the dangers near the pier.
“The coastal officer was fully aware of what happened and is going to assess the area to make safety a priority,” Cllr Kelly said.
“Furthermore the lifeguards are going to have a meeting to review the incident and each lifeguard will be updated on the dangers around the pier.”
Cllr Kelly has called on locals and holidaymakers to be aware of water safety at all times.
“I would urge people to obey the signage that is going to be erected and to never ever swim outside of the lifeguarded zone,” he said.
“Local people might be aware of the currents and the depth of the water, but Rathmullan is very popular with visitors who wouldn’t be fully aware.
“I hope that these new measures will make the beach a safer place and reduce the risk of any future incidents.”
