Irish rower completes voyage from New York after being rescued off Galway coast
Fiachra Gallagher
Damian Browne became the first person to row from New York to Galway, following an early-morning rescue mission of the coast of Co Galway on Tuesday.
After 112 days at sea, Mr Browne reached Irish coastline at Furbo Beach, Galway, where unforgiving weather conditions had forced him to land just short of the Port of Galway.
Emergency services helped Mr Browne from the rocks. The Coast Guard confirmed a man had been rescued “on Furbo beach” shortly before 1am on Tuesday, according to The Irish Times.
A Coast Guard official said it had been alerted by an emergency beacon that showed a position a few hundred metres from the beach when it is understood Browne’s boat struck rocks on the shore.
In a statement, Mr Browne's team said he was in "good spirits" despite not being able to make it to the Port of Galway. He has now been reunited with his family, and will attend a homecoming in Galway Docks on Tuesday.
Mr Browne, a former professional rugby, left Manhattan on June 14th, clocking up 3,450 nautical miles and 2,686 hours at sea before making landfall in Ireland.
The journey, which has been entitled Project Empower, is part of a fundraising effort for four charitable organisations: National Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation, Ability West, Madra and The Galway Simon Community.
