Miracle escape on the Prom

TWO strokes of luck – and the efficiency of the emergency services – helped to stave off a potentially catastrophic incident at Salthill this week when a car tumbled down towards the sea.

Shortly before 5pm on Wednesday, an automatic Nissan Primera car with an elderly couple inside – both understood to be in their eighties and from the local area – accidentally reversed over the pathway as the male driver was attempting to turn the vehicle.

It is understood that the driver of the car may have mistakenly thought that he had the gearstick in the forward position: instead the vehicle careered backwards, over the kerb, and onto the rocks.

The car came to a halt close to the bottom tier of rocks near the sea edge without overturning – the emergency services were on the scene minutes later including the Fire Brigade, Gardaí and ambulance personnel.

Local Knocknacarra councillor, Donal Lyons, told the Galway City Tribune that he saw two fire brigade units at the scene as he left a City Council meeting at Leisureland shortly after 5pm on Wednesday.

“There were really two pieces of luck that helped to ensure there were no disastrous consequences – firstly the tide was out, and secondly, there was no one on the beach at the time,” said Cllr. Lyons.

He said that he wanted to commend the emergency services at the scene – including the Fire Brigade, ambulance crews and Gardaí – for their prompt response to the emergency.

“Thankfully, from what we’re hearing, the couple involved are making a good recovery and it was wonderful to see that they were safely rescued from the scene by the emergency services,” said Cllr. Lyons.

Up to five units of Galway Fire Brigade were at the scene shortly after the accident happened when the car mounted the footpath and slid down over the large rocks, placed there as part of the coastal defence armour.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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