Record attempt sea rowers rescued

VALENTIA COAST GUARD LED THE OPERATION TO SAVE ROWERS TRYING ATLANTIC CROSSING

TWO rowers have spent the last few days recovering at University Hospital Kerry after their world record attempt to row across the Atlantic was dramatically cut short when their boat overturned about 350km off the Kerry coast on Friday morning.

Brian Conville from Dublin, and French Canadian Joseph Gagnon were on schedule to become the first pair to row the Atlantic - from west to east - until their ocean rowing boat overturned sometime between 5am and 7am on Friday.

They duo had set off from St John’s Port in Newfoundland, Canada, on June 13 and planned to row across the Atlantic in 40 days, without a stopover and without assistance.

Rescue services were contacted after an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) device on board the pair’s specially designed boat activated and the Coast Guard station based at Valentia co-ordinated a rescue operation.

Valentia tasked the Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117 and the Air Corps Casa plane to go to the scene.

They arrived on the scene shortly after 2pm on Friday and found the two men lying on the hull of their upturned boat.

The Coast Guard said the men were rescued following a difficult operation in a three-metre sea swell. The operation was made more difficult as the white hull of the men’s boat made it difficult to see among the waves.

The pair were taken to University Hospital Kerry for treatment where they were met by family members.

Although suffering with mild hypothermia, the men were in good spirits as they recuperated.

Gerard O’Flynn, of the Irish Coast Guard praised the team at Valentia. “I want to compliment the helicopter crew and Valentia [station] on a very successful operation and thank the Air Corps for their support.”