Bonmahon Lifeboat Launches Following Report of Missing Swimmers Near Reilly's Island
- Pat Nolan
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
Saturday 18 July 2026
Bonmahon Lifeboat launched following reports of two swimmers believed to have entered the water near Reilly's Island, Annestown.
The volunteer crew's pagers were activated at 8:16 pm by the Irish Coast Guard, placing the lifeboat on standby. At the same time, Bonmahon Coast Guard was tasked to investigate the reported incident at Reilly's Island.
At 9:05 pm, Bonmahon Lifeboat received instructions to launch and proceed to the area. The crew carried out an extensive search after a concerned member of the public reported seeing two swimmers heading towards Reilly's Island but had not witnessed them return.
Following a detailed search of the area involving the lifeboat and Coast Guard resources, no persons were located and there was nothing further to report. The search operation was subsequently stood down by the Irish Coast Guard.
Bonmahon Lifeboat returned safely to station, where the vessel was refuelled and made ready for its next service.
The incident serves as a reminder that anyone who believes a person is in difficulty at sea or along the coast should dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard immediately. Prompt reporting enables search and rescue resources to be deployed quickly, even when the incident ultimately proves to be a false alarm with good intent.
