In the early hours of Wednesday morning, 26th April, Gardaí in Gorey received a report of a missing person. The person had left their home the previous evening and concerns were raised as to their safety.
Just before 1am, a vehicle was found parked near the beach which was identified as belonging to the missing person. Gardaí recovered the vehicle and called immediately for the assistance of The Coastguard and Courtown RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution). A multi agency search ensued as concerns heightened for the well being of the person missing.
Gardaí, the Arklow/Courtown Coastguard Unit including Coastguard Helicopter R117 and Courtown Harbour RNLI worked through the afternoon until the search was stood down upon the discovery of the missing person at approximately 2pm on Wednesday afternoon.
Once Coastguard Helicopter R117 had secured a safe landing site, medical assistance was provided to the casualty before they were transferred by the National Ambulance Service (NAS) Paramedics to hospital where they are expected to make a full physical recovery.
This incident is a great example of inter-agency cooperation between An Garda Síochána, the Coastguard, the RNLI and the NAS working tirelessly to prevent the loss of life and is just one example of many.
If you see anyone in difficulty on or near the water, dial 112 or 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
