Man rescued after falling off vessel

A man had a lucky escape after falling overboard from his vessel near Crosshaven last night.

The volunteer crew from Crosshaven Lifeboat were alerted at 5.20pm to reports of a person shouting for help at Drakes Pool, a mile upriver from the Lifeboat Station.

On arrival, the crew found that the man had managed to remove himself from the water and onto another moored vessel after being in the water for up to 30 minutes.

He was extremely cold and hypothermic. 

The crew immediately took the casualty back to the lifeboat station where he was assessed by Dr John Murphy, the Lifeboat Doctor and put into a hot shower before being taken by ambulance to Cork University Hospital for further evaluation. 

The casualty was wearing a life jacket, but this failed to inflate. 

It highlights how important it is to have your safety equipment checked and kept in good order.