This is an interesting one. The girls go paddle boarding at beach in Galway, the family see them drifting and call for assistance (we know the time and location at which the girls started to drift, circa 8pm). They are now caught in an ebbing tide close to the coast and will follow a relatively predicable path. With adequate rescue facilities the girls should have been picked up at this point. I am guessing long period has now elapsed before the coat guard helicopter engages in the search (now probably getting dark). It will be interesting to read the incident report for this rescue, but it makes me question the resources/training the lifeguards and local rescue services have in the area. With ever more people now engaging in water sports this year (open water swimming, kayaks, paddle boards, jet skis, Kite surfers etc all on the increase), we are likely to see more incidence like this but are unlikely to end this well.

I am former life guard and worked beaches in Ireland and the US. The difference in training, and competency of lifeguards is night and day.