Cork lifeguards: More than 170 accidents prevented in one weekend

MORE than 170 accidents were prevented on beaches across Cork County in one weekend this month, according to figures provided by Cork County Council’s Beach Lifeguard Team.

A total of 174 accidents were prevented on beaches across the county between Saturday August 14 and Sunday August 15.

The beach with the highest number of accidents prevented was Barleycove beach, with a total of 53.

This was followed by Inchydoney beach, where 28 accidents were prevented, and Garrettstown beach with 20.

Tragumna was the only beach where there were zero recorded.

Rescues

During the same period, there were a total of six rescues, all of which were on Inchydoney beach.

First aid was required on beaches on 14 occasions over the course of the same weekend.

Five of these occasions were at Garrettstown beach, while first aid was required on three occasions on both Inchydoney and Warren beaches.

According to the figures, advice was given to beachgoers on 403 occasions, with the highest number of such incidents in Inchydoney with 85.

Warning in Garretstown

Meanwhile, a red flag was put in place at Garrettstown Beach this weekend following a sighting of a Portuguese Man O’ War.

The sighting was the second such encounter over the weekend.

On Saturday, there was also a sighting of a Portuguese Man O’ War washed up on nearby Garrylucas beach.

The tentacles of the creature, which is not actually a true jellyfish, can be up to 45m long and its sting can be extremely painful.