5 swimmers rescued after dolphin encounter

Five swimmers were taken ashore last night by the coastguard after they were confronted by a dolphin off the Galway coast.

A member of the public raised the alarm and contacted the RNLI to alert them to the incident off Blackrock Tower in Salthill yesterday evening.

The Galway RNLI lifeboat was launched and arrived at the scene at around 7.30 - where a local fishing vessel had separated the dolphin from the swimmers.

Lynne O'Loughlin is a member of the Galway triathlon club, and was onshore when the drama unfolded;