This is the heroic moment swimmers battled the currents to save two young girls from drifting out to sea.
Panic ensued at High Rock in Dublin’s Portmarnock on Monday after the kids were dragged out on an inflatable flamingo before a number of men jumped in to try and save them.
Local man Gerard Tyrrel was first to reach them before a number of others helped him go against the strong tide and winds, which were pushing them away from the shore.
The 43-year-old, who works as a physiotherapist, told Dublin Live how one pal rang the Coast Guard as he dived in to go and get the girls, who witnesses said were both under the age of 10.
The dad of two said: “I was chatting to some people then turned around and we saw them out on a flamingo.
“They were going at a fair pace so I just jumped in. I’ve swam around there a fair bit in the past.
“I got to them and made sure they were OK. I asked them and they said they couldn’t swim.
“Someone said they were calling the Coast Guard anyway so I had just planned on staying with them until they came but we managed to get them back in.
“It was only just after I got to the girls the other lads arrived, there was four of us in the end and it was easy enough to pull it in once we were all there.”
