History-making rower Damian Browne was “eight seconds away” from smashing head-on into rocks amid a disastrous homecoming in Galway overnight.
The record-breaker spent four months at sea to become the first person ever to row across the Atlantic Ocean from New York to Galway.
But his historic homecoming on Tuesday almost ended in disaster for the ex-rugby ace as strong winds sent him crashing into rocks off Galway’s coast at 1am.
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Solo rower Damian emotionally revealed that he had a “very tense and stressful night” and eventually needed emergency service help after 16 weeks at sea.
Speaking just hours after the rescue on day 113 of the unique feat, he admitted his fears for his safety due to his legs not working after so long in a boat.
And it was not until he crawled away from the rocks in the stormy conditions and saw the torches of two gardai that he realised he was saved.
Damian said: “Unfortunately, my boat Cushlamachree and myself ended up on some rocks in the north shore of Galway Bay around 1am.
“It was a very tense and stressful night. After an hour or two of getting into Galway Bay I was trying to get protection from the winds that had been very powerful all day.
“But I got hit by the ferocity of the winds. No matter how much I fought, I could not get the boat towards Galway.
“Before I knew it, I was very close to the coast, closer than I knew because of the darkness. I hoped the winds were going to calm down.
“I then saw that there were two big rocks jutting out behind me. I was like, ‘Sh*t!’ I was eight seconds from hitting them straight on.
“I swung the boat around as hard as I could and started to row out to sea, but there were huge rollers coming in and I was facing 30-knot winds.
“The boat hit the wash of a really heavy wave. The wave grabbed the boat, flipped me over, broke an oar, and it capsized.
“I was drifting and 20 seconds later we hit the rocks. There was nothing I could do. I realised it was dangerous.
“The boat was banging against the rocks. I was able to crawl down to shallow sea water but realised my legs didn’t work.
“I crawled around in the sea water and rocks for five or six minutes. Both my shoes had been torn off my feet.”
Damian had two phones to use to call for help – but one had an American SIM and wouldn’t work and the other was dead.
He used a broadband satellite to ring for help and it arrived “20 minutes later”.
Damian said: “Twenty minutes later, as I was continuing to crawl to the beach, I saw flashlights and thought, ‘Somebody’s come’. It was two guards.”
He added: “That was that. Not the finish I hoped for but it could’ve been worse. I’m home and I’m safe and I did it.”
It was gardai and emergency services from An Spidéal, Indreabhán and Carna that rescued Damian after he crashed at Na Forbacha.
Garda Micheal O Rainne from An Spideil, Garda Vincent Kelly from Indreabhan, and Garda Eoin O’Malley from Carna helped him to safety and found Cushlamachree on the rocks.
Former Leinster player Damian later arrived to a hero’s welcome at Galway Harbour and celebrated with a meal from Galway-based fast food chain Supermac’s.
He previously rowed across the Atlantic from San Sebastian in Spain to Antigua in 2018 and has also climbed Mount Everest between the two rowing trips.
Today will be his first full day on dry land since he left Manhattan on his boat in June and has set a world record in the process.
The amazing effort entitled Project Empower was part of a fundraising effort for four charitable organisations: National Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation, Ability West, Madra and The Galway Simon Community.
He left Chelsea Pier in Manhattan on June 14, “fighting Mother Nature every step” of the 3,000 nautical miles, according to project organiser MacDara Hosty.
His friend Fergus Farrell began the journey with him from New York but had to be airlifted to safety after he became ill after a few weeks at sea.
A spokesperson for the Project Empower team said Damian “is in good spirits and is very much looking forward to celebrating”.
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