Fishermen rescued after being swept into sea in Co Donegal

Stephen Maguire

Two fishermen were rescued after one was washed off rocks off Bundoran in Co Donegal last night and the other jumped in to help him.

The men were fishing at Tullan Strand around 8pm when one of the men was swept off the rocks by a large wave.

The second man jumped in to help his companion and he too got into difficulty.

The alarm was raised by Malin Head Coast Guard, who immediately tasked the Bundoran lifeboat to the scene.

Locals also managed to throw a lifebuoy to one of the casualties.

The inshore lifeboat, helmed by Oisín Cassidy with crew members Laura Gillespie, Mark Vaughan and Finn Mullen onboard, launched into challenging conditions with a force 4 southerly wind and a 3-metre swell.

The lifeboat arrived on scene at 8.11pm and managed to take the men from the water

Alongside the RNLI, the National Ambulance Service, An Garda Síochána and the Sligo-based Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 118 were also tasked to the incident.

The casualties were recovered from the water and transferred to Sligo University Hospital for further treatment.

Speaking after the call out, Bundoran RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, Daimon Fergus, paid tribute to all the emergency services who worked together at the scene to rescue the men.

"I would like to thank the members of the public who quickly threw a lifebuoy to the casualty in the water and also all of the emergency services who worked together with our crew during this rescue"

The RNLI is reminding anyone heading to the coast to always carry a means of calling for help and, if near or on the water, to wear a suitable buoyancy aid or lifejacket.

"Remember, if you get into difficulty in the water, tilt your head back, relax and try to float until it is safe to swim to shore or until help arrives.

"If you see someone in difficulty, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard," added the spokesperson.