A man has died after getting into difficulty while out for a swim in Portarlington in Co. Laois on Saturday.
The 60-year-old was taken from the water after the incident occurred at Derryounce Lake at around 3:30pm this afternoon.
He was then rushed by ambulance to Portlaoise General Hospital but was sadly pronounced dead a short time later.
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Gardaí are treating the matter as a tragic accident at this time and a file will be prepared for the Coroner."
In a statement to the Irish Mirror, a garda spokesperson said: "At approximately 3:30 pm on Saturday the 16th of July, 2022 Gardaí and emergency services were alerted after a man in his 60s got into difficulty while swimming at Derryounce Lake, Portarlington, Co Laois.
"He was taken from the water and removed from the scene by ambulance to Portlaoise General Hospital but was pronounced dead a short time later. Gardaí are treating the matter as a tragic accident at this time. A file will be prepared for the Coroner."
As the warm weather looks set to continue throughout the weekend and into next week, Water Safety Ireland has predicted swarms of swimmers to head to the coasts for a dip.
Issuing a warning over the dangers of open water, it urged the public to be mindful and abide by the following advice:
- Swim within your depth and stay within your depth.
- Swim between the red and yellow flags at a Lifeguarded waterway, listed at www.watersafety.ie/lifeguards otherwise swim in areas that are known locally as safe and where there are ringbuoys present for rescues.
- Avoid swimming in unfamiliar areas that are potentially unsafe. Ask for local knowledge to determine local hazards and safest areas to swim. Pay attention to any safety signage.
- Make sure that the water’s edge is shallow shelving so that you can safely enter and exit.
- The air temperature is warm but open water is cooler than air – avoid extended stays in the water as your muscles will cool, making swimming more difficult.
- Never use inflatable toys in open water as a gentle breeze can quickly bring a person away from shore.
- Always supervise children closely and never leave them alone near water.
- Alcohol is a factor in one third of drownings. Do not mix it with water activities.
- To escape a rip current, swim parallel to the shore and then swim back ashore. Seewww.watersafety.ie/rip-currents/
- If you see somebody in trouble in the water: SHOUT – REACH – THROW
- SHOUT to calm, encourage and orientate them;
- REACH with anything that prevents you from entering the water (clothing/stick);
- THROW a ringbuoy or any floating object to them.
- When boating, always wear a correctly fitting lifejacket and have to hand a VHF radio and a fully charged mobile phone in a waterproof pouch.
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