Man taken to hospital after being bitten by shark
The incident happened on board a small vessel off the coast of County Waterford in the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday.
A man was hospitalized on Tuesday after sustaining what is believed to be a shark bite off Ireland's south coast.
The incident occurred approximately four miles off Ram Head, Ardmore, County Waterford, where five individuals were aboard a small vessel.
Multiple emergency services, including the Irish Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue 117, Ballycotton RNLI, and Youghal RNLI, were dispatched to the scene.
Ballycotton RNLI, based in Cork, reported receiving a call at 16:16 local time from the Dublin Coast Guard to assist a "five-metre pleasure craft" with five people on board. Their all-weather Trent-class lifeboat, The Austin Lidbury, launched at 16:30.
"With calm sea conditions and good visibility, the lifeboat arrived on scene at approximately 5.10pm," a statement from Ballycotton RNLI confirmed.
Upon arrival, Youghal RNLI and Rescue 117 were already present. The injured man was airlifted by the rescue helicopter to Cork University Hospital. Both lifeboats remained on standby during the transfer.
Ballycotton RNLI returned to harbor around 18:15, where the lifeboat was refueled before the volunteer crew proceeded with their scheduled weekly training.
Eolan Walsh, the coxswain on duty, praised the collaborative effort: "This was a well-coordinated multi-agency response, with Ballycotton RNLI, Youghal RNLI and Rescue 117 working together to ensure that the casualty received urgent medical assistance as quickly and safely as possible."
Walsh also issued a safety reminder: "Incidents such as this are a reminder that conditions at sea can change quickly and that anyone heading offshore should make safety a priority. Ensure your vessel is suitable for the conditions, wear a properly-fitted lifejacket or personal flotation device, carry a reliable means of communication, and make sure someone ashore knows your plans."
In a statement to Irish broadcaster RTÉ, the Irish Coast Guard confirmed the man's hospitalization. A spokesperson stated, "The Coast Guard's Waterford based helicopter, Rescue 117, was tasked to the scene, as well as the Ballycotton RNLI all weather lifeboat and the Youghal RNLI inshore lifeboat. The man was winched on board... Rescue 117, and taken to Cork University Hospital and handed over into the care of the HSE. He's still in hospital."
This is not an isolated incident of shark bites off the Irish coast. In 2018, a Belfast man sustained serious injuries to his lower arm after being bitten by a Blue Shark he had caught while angling. Crosshaven RNLI in Cork assisted him during that incident.