A man involved in a recent heroic river rescue on the Shannon says the incident shows how "absolutely vital" ring buoys are.
A young man was rescued by two local men when he got into trouble in the water earlier this month.
Daniel Mee, who works part-time with Moon River pleasure cruises in the town, was one of those who helped save the man in the water.
Speaking on The Pat Kenny Show, Daniel said he was out to meet a friend when he noticed a commotion down by the water.
He said: "There was a lady there who seemed to be in control and talking to people. She asked me if I was a local and how long it would take for the rescue services to come… I advised her the rescue services for the waterways would be some time, as we don’t have any directly in Carrick-on-Shannon.
“She then pointed out there was a man in the water. I quickly realised I needed to start doing something, as he seemed to be struggling.
“I quickly made the decision that I needed to get in the water to help this man out.”
Daniel had initially checked for a skiff that is normally moored in the area, but unfortunately it wasn't there.
Another man had already gotten into the water to try to help, but had to get back out due to the coldness of the water and the strong currents.
However, he had successfully managed to get a ring buoy to the man who was in trouble - something Daniel believes was crucial in ensuring a successful rescue.
He said: “The ring was absolutely vital - the fact they managed to get that ring to the young man kept him afloat and kept his head above water.
"That’s crucial because when you’re in those situations where you can’t keep above water you start to panic and then unfortunately it makes the situation worse.”
Daniel - who has been involved in other rescues in the past - says it's important both experienced and more casual swimmers take care when on the water and be aware of what's available to keep you safe.
However, he's particularly keen to stress the importance of ensuring buoys are kept in good working order for whenever they're needed.
He said he every so often comes across ring buoys that have been left lying around or have been tampered with.
He observed: “Sometimes it’s the simplest thing - people will play with them and put them back where they found them, but unfortunately the rope that’s been attached to them is now tangled.
"If you ever have to use that, it makes it difficult for the device to become efficient.”
