Skerries RNLI were tasked on Thursday evening (18 August) following 999 calls to Dublin Coast Guard reporting a mother and child on a paddleboard being blown out to sea near Balbriggan.
The north Co Dublin lifeboat’s volunteer crew launched within minutes of pagers sounding shortly after 8pm, headed for a position one mile north of Bremore Point in Balbriggan some 200 metres off shore.
Conditions at the time had a Force 5 westerly wind with a moderately choppy sea.
Arriving on scene, the volunteer crew quickly spotted the casualties and moved the lifeboat alongside them. Having confirmed that they were unable to make their way back to the beach, both mother and child were taken on board the lifeboat, along with their paddleboard.
The crew carried out a quick first aid assessment and decided that the best course of action would be to bring them back to the warmth of the lifeboat station for further observation.
Once ashore in the boathouse, they were checked over by a local GP, who also happened to be one of the crew on board the lifeboat.
The mother and child did not require any further medical assistance and were soon able to leave the station safe and well when a family member arrived to collect them.
Speaking about the callout, volunteer lifeboat press officer Gerry Canning said: “We have responded to a number of paddleboard instances off Balbriggan this summer with offshore breezes making it difficult if not impossible to get back to the beach.
“Thankfully in this case they did the right thing in staying on the board and waiting for help to arrive.
“Remember, if you see someone in difficulty on or near the water, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.”