Seven fishermen were rescued overnight when their boat crashed into rocks off Co Donegal.
Lifeboat officials said it took heroic efforts from the Coast Guard's helicopter team to save the men, who were grounded in high swell under an overhanging cliff in Lough Swilly, Co Donegal.
The boat made a mayday call to Malin Head Coast Guard station at 3.30am after it hit the rocks and began taking on water around Saldanna Head.
Lifeboats were unable to reach the 50ft Horizoncrabbing vessel, however, due to the rocky headland near Ballymastocker Bay during the two-hour rescue.
"The vessel itself was actually perched in under a cliff ledge and, because of the bad water and the high swell, both lifeboats were unable to successfully effect a rescue," Dara O'Malley of the Malin Head Coast Guard said.
"Thankfully he [the helicopter pilot] was able to get the winchman down, which was a very, very dangerous operation, and successfully winched up the seven fishermen on to the aircraft and we took them to the hospital in Derry."
The fishermen were treated for hypothermia and shock, but there were no serious injuries.
PA