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RNLI urges people not to bring inflatables to the beach

RNLI urges people not to bring inflatables to the beach
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Waterford's RNLI groups are appealing to people to not bring inflatables to the beach.

This comes after both Helvick and Tramore RNLI saved children just off Clonea and Tramore Beach who floated far offshore on inflatables and paddleboards.

The Clonea incident happened at roughly midday yesterday, while the Tramore one happened less than two hours later.

In both cases, the children didn't realise how far they had gotten so quickly but were brought safely back to shore.

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The rescue service is asking people not to bring inflatables to the beach as they are not fit for the open water.

Inflatables are designed to float on water and therefore are at the behest of the wind and the current. A member of the Helvick RNLI has said that even if the sea looks calm, it might not be.

"What you really can't see is the effects of an offshore breeze and that's what really makes inflatables very tricky is you won't even realise you have this breeze and it's only a breeze, it doesn't even have to actually be a wind," Pat Deveraux from Helvick RNLI said.

Pat was on the rescue boat along with Paidi Breathnach, Cathal Reilly, and Alan Kelly. They brought the two kids off Clonea Beach back to shore.

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To read more about the rescue, click here.

And for more Waterford stories, see the WLR website.

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