Gardaí are warning people not to go swimming after a woman had to be rescued from the sea in Dun Laoghaire this morning.

Video footage has emerged online showing people, including Edward Thomas (50), coming to the woman’s aid at Sandycove Harbour.

Speaking to Independent.ie Mr Thomas' wife Gwen said she is in no doubt that the person rescued from the water would have died had others not been present.

"Our electricity was out so we decided to go for a drive to get some supplies and we stopped at Sandycove," Mrs Thomas said.

"There were people there running over to the water so we got out to see what the problem was. Then we saw the woman struggling in the water. She was fighting against the waves, so my husband and another man threw the ring over to her and she fortunately was able to grab it and they dragged her out. She couldn't even stand she was that exhausted, so she sat down for 10 minutes to catch her breath.

"Without a doubt if the people weren't there to throw in the ring she would have died," Mrs Thomas said. "The waves were pushing her against the rocks and were dragging her under."

The rescued swimmer wasn't the only person Mrs Thomas saw take to the water.

"As soon as they got her out two men togged up and got into the water after all that happened. I couldn't believe it.

"Luckily a police car came and once they put the sirens on they two men quickly got out.

"This is proof that it doesn't matter how good a swimmer you are you can't compete against a storm or the raging current.

A garda spokesman told Independent.ie: “We are advising people not to go swimming as there are extremely high tides.”

Despite a Status Red snow-ice warning still being in place, some swimmers have ignored this.

People also defied a Status Red warning during Hurricane Ophelia, when videos and pictures emerged of people swimming in Salthill, Co Galway and at the 40-Foot in Dun Laoghaire.

Online Editors