NI 16-YEAR-OLD DIES IN FISHING TRAGEDY

TWO LOST AFTER BOAT CAPSIZES IN DONEGAL

A TEENAGE boy from Northern Ireland was one of two people who died after a boat capsized off the coast of Donegal.

A man aged in his 60s and a 16-year-old boy passed away yesterday evening.

A third man is understood to be in a stable condition.

Gardai in Co Donegal were notified of the incident in the water off Malin Head at approximately 4.15pm.

Three people on a boat had got into difficulties and the Coast Guard mounted a rescue operation.

A man in his 60s was taken from the water and pronounced dead at the scene.

His body has been taken to Letterkenny University Hospital where a post-mortem examination will take place.

The boy and a man believed to be in his 50s were taken to Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry.

The teenager has since passed away.

The man in his 50s remains in hospital.

The dead man is believed to be from Co Donegal and the other two occupants of the boat from Co Derry.

The rescue was launched after tourists staying in a holiday cottage heard their cries for help.

The two men and the teenager had left to go fishing off the Donegal coast.

They left Malin Head pier around midday in their 15ft fishing vessel.

They had only travelled approximately half a mile out to sea when their vessel suddenly capsized.

The three were thought to have been in the water for a considerable time before their shouts were heard from people staying in a nearby cottage.

Malin Head Coast Guard Station was contacted and a rescue mission was launched just after 4pm.

The teenager was the first person to be taken from the water by a local fishing vessel.

He was taken by the Coast Guard’s Rescue 118 helicopter from the pier at Malin Head to Altnagelvin.

An adult was rescued a short time later and he too was taken to hospital.

However, the body of the man in his 60s is understood to have been recovered close to the shoreline at around 6pm.

The rescue operation involved lifeboat crews from the Lough Swilly RNLI, the Malin Head Coast Guard and the Coast Guard 118 Helicopter.

The spokesman for Lough Swilly RNLI, Joe Joyce, confirmed that the alarm was raised after the shouts of the fishermen was heard by visitors staying in the nearby cottage.

“The party had left around midday but the first person was not recovered until after the alarm was raised around 4pm,” he said.

“They were in the water a long time.

“The alarm was raised by people staying in a cottage just above the pier when they heard shouts for help,” he added.

There is no indication yet as to what caused the boat to capsize.