A Waterford fisherman is recovering after suffering a serious shark bite to the lower leg aboard a small fishing vessel off Ardmore Head, prompting a coordinated rescue involving Rescue 117 and two lifeboat crews.

A volunteer with over 30 years’ service said they were tasked by MRCC Dublin around 4.19 pm on Tuesday to support Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117, alongside the Helvick Head lifeboat and Youghal lifeboat.

The casualty had been shark fishing from a 5–6 metre vessel when a blue shark, estimated at around 1.5 metres, bit his leg after being brought on board.

Crew on the boat managed to stem heavy bleeding using an improvised tourniquet before the helicopter arrived. Rescue 117 reached the scene before the lifeboats, put a winchman onto the deck in tight conditions, and then winched both casualty and winchman on board for transfer to hospital.

The fisherman, named locally as Sebastian from Dungarvan, was conscious but “in and out of it” during the rescue and was later reported to be in good spirits.

The lifeboats were stood down once the casualty was evacuated and the vessel confirmed it could proceed to Dungarvan without escort.

The lifeboat volunteer stressed that blue sharks do not pose a risk to swimmers, rarely approaching people and generally remaining offshore.

The incident was described as a rare case of a wild animal’s “fight or flight” response when removed from its normal environment — and one the fisherman will be “all the talk around Dungarvan” for, having been “very lucky” the bleeding was stopped in time.

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