Puffer jacket helped save ‘very lucky’ young girl swept out to sea during heavy storm

The heroic rescue of a young girl who was plucked from a dangerous storm and into the sea over the weekend was made possible by her jacket and her behavior in the water, as reported by the Sun Newspaper.

The incident occurred when the six-year-old was swept off the east pier of Dun Laoghaire harbor in south Co Dublin during the intense Storm Kathleen at approximately 8:20 pm on Saturday.

A coordinated effort involving the RNLI, Coast Guard, Dublin Fire Brigade, ambulance services, and Gardai was immediately launched upon receiving the distress call.

Andrew Sykes, a volunteer with the RNLI, bravely jumped from the lifeboat to reach the girl and successfully pulled her out of the water. However, Mr. Sykes mentioned that the rescue operation was challenging due to the adverse weather conditions.

He explained, "The high winds and storm we were facing, along with the large waves and surge from the pier, made it extremely difficult to approach her. We were constantly being pushed in different directions."

It was discovered that the pockets of air trapped under the young girl's puffer jacket played a crucial role in keeping her afloat until rescue arrived. Her behavior in the sea also contributed to her survival.

This remarkable rescue serves as a testament to the bravery and dedication of the emergency response teams involved, who risked their own safety to save the life of a young child in perilous circumstances.

The operation involved multiple agencies including the Coast Guard, RNLI, Garda, ambulance service, and Dublin Fire Brigade. The Coast Guard's Rescue 116 helicopter was also utilized. James Larkin from the Coast Guard expressed delight in hearing that the person rescued is doing well and emphasized the importance of heeding coastal warnings. 

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, a Fine Gael TD, commended the extraordinary efforts of the rescuers, while Cormac Devlin, a Fianna Fail TD, described them as heroic. A member of the public expressed gratitude towards the RNLI and the rescuer in the water, referring to them as earth angels and hoping for the well-being of the rescued individual.