A BRAVE group of swimmers took to the icy water off the south Wexford coast at the  weekend to raise money for a local sub aqua club.

The event took place on Sunday, at Slade Harbour on the Hook Peninsula, when the group, composed of Hook Sub Aqua Club members and their friends, entered the water at 11.30 a.m.

The group then made their way across the harbour and exited on the far side where dry clothes and hot beverages awaited them.

The aim of the swim, in addition to being a bit of craic, was to raise money for a new compressor.

A safety diver was in place in case anyone needed assistance during the swim but thankfully his services weren’t needed on the day.

Costing around €30,000 the equipment doesn’t come cheap, however, the club has received Government funding of around €18,000 under the Capital Sports Grant scheme but the remaining money has to come from the club itself.

A number of other fundraising events took place during 2014 including table quizzes to help raise the much needed funds.

Hook Sub Aqua Club is one of the most active organisations of its type in the country and in addition to its members enjoying regular leisure dives off the Irish coast the club also regularly assists the local emergency services especially in the area of search, rescue and recovery.

Therefore, it’s vital that the club gets its new compressor which will help it continue to provide such invaluable support to the county’s emergency services.

A spokesperson for the club said there are plans for the club to establish its own search and rescue unit.

“Our members have been involved in search and rescue operations giving assistance to other units but we’re hoping to also establish our own dedicated search and rescue unit,” she told The Echo.

The club will be holding pool training days in the New Year and anyone interested in finding out more about the club is invited to attend.

Information on how to get involved with the club can also be obtained from the club’s PRO, Dearbhla Walsh, on 087-9902641.