‘Frostbit guy’, Ruairi McSorley survives a 12-hour ordeal in icy waters!

<p>
IN Bureau</p>
<p>
In what can be aptly described as a miracle escape, an Irish man, 24 years old, was rescued off the coast of Kerry. He was surrounded by dolphins when he was rescued after a 12-hour ordeal.</p>
<p>
The rescued person was identified later as Ruairi McSorley, the ‘frostbit boy’. It is a name which was given to him in 2015 after his video went viral.</p>
<p>
It was the Fenit Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) volunteers who came to the rescue of McSorley on Sunday at 8.30 p.m.</p>
<p>
Even though he was described as “hypothermic” by the officials, McSorley said that he was feeling “100 per cent” after his evacuation.</p>
<p>
Talking to the Irish News he said: “The only thing was my kidneys needed to readjust, so there has been no serious harm. It was only a matter of going into the hospital to heat up a bit. Other than that, I was fine.”</p>
<p>
What started the search for McSorely was the discovery of his clothes at Castlegregory beach. Alerted RNLI, launched a lifeboat from Fenit Harbour, their station, at around 12.40 p.,m. Besides the lifeboat, a helicopter was also pressed into service.</p>
<p>
Following his rescue, he expressed his gratitude to the RNLI. Referring to them as incredible and professional he remarked: “They wrapped me up in the blankets and took my body temperature and everything and then just rushed me into the hospital.”</p>
<p>
RNLI’s Gerard O’Donnell referred to McSorely as a “lucky individual” and his survival in the icy waters as a “miracle”. He was treated at the University Hospital Kerry and later discharged.</p>
<p>
In 2015 McSorely became popular as the ‘frostbit guy’ when in an interview on television, talking about his mother not allowing him to miss school even for a day, he had said: “You wouldn’t be long getting frostbit.” He was sharing his thoughts on Northern Ireland’s biting winter weather.</p>