Two people have been rescued by the Irish Coast Guard after coming into difficulty at Sandymount Beach in Dublin this afternoon.
They were airlifted to safety by the Dublin-based Coast Guard helicopter and no injuries were reported.
Local residents believe both people became stranded on a sandbar when the tide began to come in at the popular Dublin walking spot.
A local resident told the Irish Independent that the Coast Guard did “a great job” and had a prompt response to the incident, adding that: “Unfortunately, it happens quite regularly.
“The problem is there are sandbars at various parts along the beach and the tide can creep up quickly. People get quite scared, naturally. There’s no real signage around to say to watch out for the sandbars.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Transport said the Coast Guard was alerted to an incident at Sandymount Beach earlier this afternoon where two people were reported to be in difficulty.
“The Dublin-based Coast Guard helicopter, Dun Laoghaire Coast Guard Unit and Dun Laoghaire RNLI were tasked to the scene by MRCC Dublin.
“The casualties were airlifted from the scene by R116 and transferred ashore. There were no reported injuries.
“The area where the casualties were located was inaccessible by boat.”