Kitesurfer injured during Storm Lorenzo after ignoring 80mph gale warnings slammed over £4k GoFundMe page
A KITESURFER injured during Storm Lorenzo has been blasted after a GoFundMe was set up to help him because he “won’t be able to work for some time”.
Sean Murphy was rescued by the coast guard after being blown onto the rocks near Rosslare in last week.
Coastguard chiefs as well as the RNLI had issued joint safety warnings to the public urging them to “Stay Back — Stay Dry — Stay High”.
But Fianna Fail Senator Keith Swanick has blasted those who blatantly ignore weather warnings which in turn puts the lives of emergency service personnel at risk.
The politician also blasted it a "waste of taxpayers money" and called for a to be donated to the Coast Guard
'BLATANT DISREGARD FOR WARNINGS'
He told the Irish Sun: “The blatant disregard for those warnings really upsets me because at the end of the day when the bleep goes off in someone’s house who is a member of the coast guard or the fire brigade or the voluntary fire brigade in a rural community that person leaves their house, leaves their loved ones with no guarantee they’ll return safely.”
Senator Swanick added: “I wish him a speedy recovery but at the end of the day the coast guard is a voluntary service and maybe a substantial amount of that money he might see it fit to donate it.”
The Irish Coast Guard Sikorsky helicopter Rescue 117 flew from Waterford Airport to .
Murphy, who is well-known kite surfer, has undergone several surgeries after he broke his leg.
The GoFundMe read: “Hey kites, I guess by now you all know Sean Murphy had a crash on Thursday in Lady’s Island and got busted up. His leg is well broken and it will be some months before he is back in action.
'LEG IS WELL BROKEN'
“So Sean won’t be able to work for some time. Let’s come together as a kiting community and give him a dig out to this legend who gives so much back to this sport. Lorenzo 2019, we shall rebuild!”
Today the fundraiser had raised more than £4,300 in donations by 100 different donors.
Senator Swanick also called for penalties to be introduced for people who wilfully ignore weather advice and put emergency services personnel in danger.
He said: “Whatever about having an accident or an accident at sea but when a warning has been issued and the advice has been disregarded that’s very troublesome.
'TIMEWASTERS SHOULD BE PENALISED'
“Maybe we need to introduce penalties for this type of thing — wasting taxpayers money on calling out emergency services when there is an orange weather warning.
“If there is a warning in place and somebody disregards the warning and end up calling out the emergency services — I think those people should be penalised.”
Social media users slammed the kitesurfer when the news broke about the rescue operation.
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One said: “Ridiculous fool putting other lives at risk.”
Another took to Twitter and said: “Find me a bigger TOOL in Ireland. I’ll wait...........”
Independent Cllr John Lyons said: “Anyone out in swimming, surfing, kitesurfing or whatever you do for fun in Storm Lorenzo... The world doesn’t revolve around ye and your little hobbies.”
