Two young fishermen are recovering after surviving 10 hours in a life raft after their boat sank off the north Mayo coast yesterday.
John O’Donnell (18) and Nathan Flannery (25) of Porturlin and Rossport villages, were moving crab pots when their 36ft boat was swamped by a wave and sank yesterday off Downpatrick head.
The two were thrown into the sea before they could issue a Mayday alert. They managed to take to the boat’s life raft, which did not open automatically. The alarm was raised after 11pm when the boat did not return to Porturlin.
The Sligo-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter and Ballyglass lifeboat were dispatched to search for the vessel.
The life raft with the two men on board was located by the helicopter at 1.30am and the lifeboat was directed to the scene and took the two men on board shortly before 2am.
Both were taken to Ballyglass pier.