Dublin fisherman says RNLI's Float to Live advice helped save his life ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day
- Pat Nolan
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Wednesday 22 July 2026
Ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day this Saturday (25 July), a Dublin fisherman is sharing how the RNLI's Float to Live advice helped save his life after his boat capsized on the River Shannon.
John Tunney was fishing from his small boat on the Leitrim side of the River Shannon near Rooskey at around 7am on a Saturday morning in the spring of 2024 when he struck a submerged log, causing his boat to overturn and throwing him into the water.
An experienced angler who has fished around the world, John was wearing a lifejacket which inflated immediately. Initially, he clung to his overturned boat, but as it drifted towards an island, he realised it would not be possible to stay with it for much longer.
Instead, he relied on the RNLI's Float to Live technique.
"I lay back, spread my legs and arms, using the Float technique," John recalls. "The wind was blowing upwards and I was getting pulled into the mainstream. I knew I was going to use up all my energy, so I decided to let the water take me. I was floating towards a bridge, and I knew someone would see me when I got there. I was getting quite cold and heading towards hypothermia when I was nearing a house, so I called out towards it as calmly as I could."
Lynda Jones, who lives beside the river with her husband Nathan and son Morgan, heard John's faint calls for help shortly before 9am.
"I was having a lie-in when I heard what I thought was an unusual bird call," Lynda says. "I opened the window to listen and realised it wasn't a bird, it was someone faintly calling 'hello' for help. I saw someone wearing a bright yellow lifejacket. I ran out in my pyjamas, put on my shoes, got my lifejacket, launched my kayak and paddled out to him. I knew the water was so cold and I didn't know how he would be."
By this stage, John had spent almost two hours in the water. Drawing on water safety training from her kayaking club, Lynda first reassured him before asking him to hold onto the front of her kayak.
"He was disorientated and shutting down, so I kept talking to him," she says. "I got him back to the house where he was able to stand. Our son Morgan, who was six at the time, helped us get John inside and onto the couch while my husband Nathan called 999. We took off his wet clothes, wrapped him up, and made him a sugary cup of tea while we waited for the ambulance."
John was treated in hospital for hypothermia before being discharged later that day. Looking back, he believes three things saved his life: wearing a lifejacket, remaining calm by using the Float to Live technique, and the quick actions of the Jones family.
"Lynda came out on her kayak and pulled me in," he says. "I was shaking badly when the family wrapped me up. I had bought the lifejacket only a couple of months before and I don't think I'd be here today without it."
"I had read about floating to live on the RNLI website and the Float technique helped to save me. It wasn't just the technique itself but staying calm. All I was focusing on was floating. My key thing was staying afloat, not necessarily getting to land in a hurry. I had a good awareness of what to do. If I hadn't floated, I think I might have panicked, tired myself out and made the wrong decisions. Float to Live helps you prioritise what you're going to do next. It buys you time and keeps you calm. It's not purely a physical technique but a mental one too."
Ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day, the RNLI is urging anyone who finds themselves in difficulty in the water to remember its Float to Live advice.
Linda-Gene Byrne, RNLI Water Safety Lead, said: "We know there are huge numbers of people visiting the coast and our inland waterways this summer, and we want everyone to remember our Float to Live advice. Instinctively, many people who find themselves struggling in the water begin to panic, swim or thrash about.
"We're urging people to ignore that instinct and remember to float. Tilt your head back with your ears submerged. Relax and try to breathe normally. Move your hands and legs to help you stay afloat if you need to. It's fine if your legs sink – we all float differently. By doing this, you give yourself the chance to rest and recover your breathing. Once you've regained control of your breathing, you can call for help or swim to safety."
RNLI Float to Live advice
If you find yourself struggling in the water:
Tilt your head back with your ears submerged.
Relax and try to breathe normally.
Move your hands and feet to help you stay afloat.
Don't worry if your legs sink – everyone floats differently.
Once your breathing is under control, call for help or swim to safety.
Practise floating in a local swimming pool if you can.
If you see someone else in difficulty in the water:
Call 999 or 112 and ask for the appropriate emergency service.
Encourage them to stay calm and float on their back.
Throw them something that floats if possible and stay with them until help arrives.
For more information about the RNLI's Float to Live campaign, visit RNLI.org/Float
