Rescue helicopter circling over Galway beach after alarm raised over swimmer
Rescue 115 helicopters as well as Irish Air Corps aircraft and Galway lifeboats were deployed to the scene
A rescue helicopter circled over a Galway beach on Monday evening for hours after an alarm was raised about a swimmer feared to be in trouble.
Rescue 115 was put into action alongside the RNLI Galway Lifeboat after locals had reported what they thought to be a person in distress in the water in Salthill.
Emergency services, including the Irish Air Corps aircraft, carried out searches all along Galway Bay using their top of the range surveillance equipment.
After several hours though, the alert was confirmed to be a false alarm with all units returning to their bases.
A spokesperson for Rescue 115 said: “We returned safely back at Shannon after tasking to Salthill for reports of an overdue swimmer on Galway Bay, tasked along with RNLI Galway Lifeboat and an Irish Air Corps Surveillance Aircraft CHARLIE284.
“Full searches were completed by the Irish Air Corps Aircraft using sophisticated surveillance equipment from altitude and from Rescue 115 lower down and Galway Lifeboat on the water and all assets were stood down once it was reported this was a false alarm with good intent.”
It comes just 24 hours after a missing person search along east Galway was stood down after an operation was carried out by gardai and emergency services.
Rescue 115 helicopters alongside Galway Civil Defence and local gardai searched parts of Portumna and Loughrea after the alarm was raised about a missing person.
Three 4x4 vehicles and two drone teams were deployed alongside local volunteers who wanted to help out but the search was stood down shortly before 6am after no discovery was made.
A spokesperson for Rescue 115 said: “Rescue 115 returned safely back to Shannon at 6am after tasking to an area north east of Portumna for a search. Tasked along with Galway Civil Defence and their Drone Unit, a full search was completed by Rescue 115 and with nothing to report, the helicopter was stood down and told return to base in Shannon.”