Teen lucky to escape after freak accident at Caragh Lake

A 13-year-old boy was lucky to escape without serious injury after a freak accident at Caragh Lake on Saturday afternoon.

The boy – who is understood to be from the area – was sitting in a small boat that was tethered to pier on the lake’s west shore when the boat slipped from its moorings and began drifting out onto the lake.

While in typical conditions the matter may not have been as serious, unusually strong westerly winds quickly blew the small craft far out onto the lake.

The boy’s companion ran to a nearby house, where he raised the alarm, and the Coast Guard was alerted. A major search operation was mounted involving Gar daí, the Iveragh coastguard and a Coast Guard rescue helicopter.

The winds were actually so strong that the boat was eventually blown all the way to the east shore of the lake, where the 13 -year-old, who was said to be “slightly shaken” but otherwise unhurt, was able to make it onto land and make his way to a nearby property, where he received assistance and was subsequently collected by rescuers.

A Coast Guard spokesperson said that due to the high winds the young boy was lucky to have escaped serious harm as the boat could easily have capsized in the blustery conditions.

The spokesperson emphasised that people should exercise extreme care while on or near lakes.