Man rescued after falling off boat on the River Shannon

David Raleigh

Firefighters and a member of the public were praised and described as “heroes” after they rescued an elderly man who had fallen overboard a boat on the River Shannon, in Limerick City, on Wednesday

The man got into difficulty in the water after falling from the boat at Arthur’s Quay, at around 3 pm.

A member of the public, who was passing at the time, threw a lifebuoy to the man.

Two units attached to the Limerick City Fire and Rescue Service rapidly responded to the scene and rescued the man from the river.

The man was transferred from the scene by paramedics in an ambulance to University Hospital Limerick.

A spokeswoman for Limerick City and County Council, which is the authority that provides the local fire service, said: “Limerick Fire Service were called to a person in the river near Sarsfield House at circa 3 pm yesterday.

"An elderly man was working in his boat when he slipped and fell into the river. A passerby threw him a life buoy, which he held onto.

“Our crew quickly got to him in the rescue boat and out of the water and brought him up the slip where he was aided into the awaiting ambulance.”

“This incident clearly shows the importance of life buoys as this elderly gentleman may have had a different outcome if it was not available,” said the council spokeswoman.

A Garda spokeswoman said Gardaí also “assisted emergency services with an incident where a male fell into water in Limerick city on Wednesday, 28th January 2026 at 3 pm” and that the man “received medical attention at the scene”.

A woman who observed firefighters bringing the man to safety said: “They are heroes, everyone involved, in fact, is a hero. They don’t get enough credit so I just want to say they all performed the rescue brilliantly.”