A swimmer from Galway is warning others after experiencing a terrifying moment of being caught in a current at a popular Irish beauty spot they frequented.
The incident happened on July 18 - the hottest day of the year - when they went for a dip in the River Clare with their family.
They said it is a spot they are well familiar with and have been going there for over 40 years, but this time out they were caught off guard when a strong current swept in.
Speaking about the scary moment, they told Galway Beo: "I was born and reared not 100 metres from that river and I’ve been swimming in it most summers for the past 40 years.
“I know the current is much stronger in some places than others and I have a good idea where the shallow and where the deep parts are, and normally I can swim in there with this in mind to avoid those spots.
"But on Monday afternoon I almost became one of those news stories or statistics."
They explained that they were simply paddling in the river in a shallow area with a few other adults standing nearby, and were only at waist depth when suddenly the strength of the current pushed them off their feet.
They said: "I was about two metres away from the other adult, but due to the strength of the current she couldn’t reach me. She was being taken as well but had somewhat more control.
“I was fighting to get my footing for about 30 metres then next thing I knew I was dragged into the extremely deep part, which every local knows to avoid."
Then, they said they were dragged underneath the water, where they were swept further and further down the river.
"I couldn’t get my head above water it felt like it was taking me under deeper and deeper,” they continued.
“Anyone that swims in the Kiltrogue river knows that it’s like a cliff edge under water, it’s about half a metre deep to 3/4 metres deep. My sister, who was beside me, managed to speak to me once I finally got my head above water but no feet on the bed of the river.
"I was very panicked, I was coughing up water and struggling to breathe even the 5-10 seconds my head was above the water. She immediately and calmly instructed me to keep my breathing under control and keep as calm as possible and try to face with my feet down to feel as soon as there was a river bed to stand on.
"I was still being dragged with the current passed the deep part - I was dragged and felt like I was drowning for about 300-400 metres.
"Eventually, with the calm advice of my sister who was in control of her floating beside me, I got my panic and my breathing under control and managed to be dragged by the current with my head above water and feet facing the river bed.”
They said they were hoping to find a shallow part to stand on, but were getting tired from trying to fight the current.
“I felt the river bed and tried to compose myself to stand still in the water, fighting the current as I was tired."
They finally made their way over to the river’s edge, where they were able to start catching their breath.
They continued: "I was a mess, my heart was racing, my breathing was out of control and I just stood there talking to my sister who kept me calm the whole time.
“We walked back to the bridge area where some of our family were on the bank scared and panicked also after seeing the whole thing."
The swimmer has warned others who plan on swimming in the River Clare or anywhere else to "think twice", as they said the current was the most dangerous part of the ordeal.
They went on to tell Galway Beo reporters: "I would have always said I was a good swimmer and I could swim easily in a pool or beach, deep or shallow, no problem.
"But the biggest thing I’ve learned from this horrendous experience is that it’s not so much the depth of the body of water, it’s the current that causes the difficulty, as I could easily have rectified myself many times during that incident if it was not for that."
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