Two nine-year-old boys were airlifted to safety from several miles off the west Donegal coast yesterday morning after they drifted out to sea in an inflatable dinghy. The children were playing in bathing waters at Portnoo village near Glenties when they were carried away. An air-sea rescue search was launched after the mother of one boy raised the alarm. They were picked up by the marine emergency service helicopter based at Finner shortly afterwards. A lifeboat from Arranmore and a local fishing vessel assisted in the search.