Water Tragedies Averted

A weekend of water-based emergencies concluded yesterday with an alert over a teenage girl on a wake-board.

She was rescued from Lower Lough Erne and brought ashore near Irvinestown after coming off the board late on Sunday night.

She was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast by a rescue helicopter.

Meanwhile, there was high seas, cross-border drama when three children got into difficulties in a small canoe off the coast of Donegal – and a swimmer was rescued after a drunken cross-border swim attempt came to grief.

The canoe incident came to light when the alarm was raised by the childrens' parents near Buncrana at about 10pm on Saturday.

Their canoe had drifted a mile-and-a-half out to sea and the current was taking them further and further away from safety.

But they were rescued by lifeboat with Joe Joyce, from the RNLI in Lough Swilly, commenting that the children were "a bit frightened when they were rescued".

"They couldn't steer the boat and it started taking them further and further from shore."

Mr Joyce added: "We administered some basic first aid - we wrapped them in thermal blankets - and brought them back to the shore to their parents."

Meanwhile, a man has been rescued after a major search operation in Carlingford Lough.

It is understood he got into difficulty when he tried to swim from Warrenpoint in Northern Ireland to Omeath just before 3am, also on Saturday.

The alarm was raised after cries for help were heard.

Helicopters, RNLI lifeboats and the Coastguard were involved in the operation.

(DW)