The chairman of Donegal Bay Rowing Club has praised the actions of first responders that saved the life of a competitor at the All-Ireland Coastal Rowing Championships in Ballyshannon at the weekend.
The man in his 50s from Antrim took seriously ill while in the water preparing to compete in one of the events, and was assisted by safety personnel, the on-site doctor and the Irish Red Cross at the scene, before emergency services quickly arrived and a defibrillator was required.
He was subsequently taken to Sligo University Hospital.
Thousands of competitors and supporters from rowing clubs around the country descended upon the Lakeside Centre in Ballyshannon for the three-day event, which was being held in Donegal for the second successive year.
Seamus Maguire, the main organiser of the event locally and the chairman of the hosting Donegal Bay club, said that the precautionary measures put in place, and the calm and professional way the incident was dealt with, ensured the man should be able to make a full recovery:
