A group of four teenage girls were rescued from the water at Sligo’s Strandhill Beach yesterday.

They were safely removed from the water by local surfers.

 Members of the Sligo Bay RNLI volunteer crew responded to the incident after local man, Eamonn O’Grady, alerted the emergency services when he noticed the teenagers struggling in the water .

The teenagers entered the sea, it would appear unaware of its dangerous currents,  despite electronic and other warning signs in place, advising the public against swimming in this location.

The Coast Guard deployed a lifeboat at 2.28pm.

On arrival at the scene the Coast Guard advised the lifeboat crew that three swimmers had been rescued by local surfers but that a fourth person was missing.

The volunteer crew continued searching the area until they were stood down by the Coast Guard, as the fourth swimmers had been successfully rescued and brought to shore.

 An ambulance was also on the scene to assess the girls.

 Local councillor Sinéad Maguire says there is huge relief that the young women are all safe but she insists Sligo County Council need to provide lifeguards along this stretch of beach, if similar situations and worse are to be averted.

The councillor says the signage is insufficient and many people fail to notice it.

She is calling on the council to re-examine the decision not to allow lifeguards on the beach.

Councillor Maguire has praised the quick thinking and bravery of the local surf community and of Mr O’Grady in this case, however, she says “we cannot continue to rely on the extraordinary courage of local people to do the job when we need professionally trained  lifeguards on duty.”

She’s been speaking to Midwest News Editor Teresa O’Malley...