A man who almost drowned after being swept out to sea off the coast of Donegal has spoken about how he used a unique survival skill to stay alive.
Paul Browne almost perished after going for a swim on Bundoran’s Main Beach last November.
This week he returned to Donegal to meet those who plucked him from the sea and to share his experience.
Conditions were rough and Paul got caught up in a bad rip current and was pulled out to sea.
Paul’s friend who was also on the beach immediately recognised he was in trouble and phoned 999/112 and raised the alarm.
By this point Paul had drifted one hundred metres out from the shore and could not be reached by a ring buoy.
Paul described how he could see his friend calling for help and then running to get the ring buoy and knew that help would be on the way.
Bundoran’s Inshore Lifeboat was requested to assist and in the intervening 10 minutes as the lifeboat launched and made its way to the scene, Paul was swept out to sea towards a local area known as the Peak surf spot.
It was at this point Paul focused on the Float to Live technique.
Paul said he knew he had to keep calm, that swimming against the rip would not work and he instead floated.
He recalls the waves hitting him again and eventually pushing him back towards the rocks.
The Bundoran RNLI lifeboat and shore crew then arrived on the scene and were able to assist Paul to safety.
Luckily Paul used the Float to Live method to stay calm and was eventually brought back towards shore after what was undoubtedly a terrifying experience.
Paul spoke about his experience when he returned to the the Donegal seaside town this week in a bid to hopefully help others who may find themselves in a similar perilous situation.
Among those he spoke to was Bundoran RNLI Helm Killian O’Kelly, also a Water Safety Education Manager with the RNLI.
Killian thanked Paul for sharing his incredible experience to help others.
He also issued advice for anyone who may find themselves in a similar situation in future.
He explained “If you find yourself in difficulty in the water this summer, tilt your head back with ears submerged and spread out into a starfish position. Relax and try to control your breathing. Use your hands to help you stay afloat.
“It’s ok if your legs sink, we all float differently. Once you are through this initial shock, call for help or swim to safety if you can. If you witness a person in difficulty, never enter water. Call 999 or 112 immediately and ask for the Coast Guard.
‘Please also be aware that Bundoran Main Beach is an area known for rip currents. Rips are strong currents running out to sea, which can quickly drag people away from the shallows of the shoreline and out to deeper water.
“Rips are especially powerful in larger surf and they can be difficult to spot, but are sometimes identified by a channel of churning, choppy water on the sea’s surface.
“Even the most experienced beachgoers can be caught out by rips, so the best way to avoid them is to choose a lifeguarded beach and always swim between the red and yellow flags which have been marked based on where is safer to swim in the current conditions. This also helps you to be spotted more easily, should something go wrong.’
