Northern Ireland

Five people rescued after becoming stranded on Copeland Islands

The Donaghadee RNLI lifeboat attended the scene. Picture from RNLI
The Donaghadee RNLI lifeboat attended the scene. Picture from RNLI The Donaghadee RNLI lifeboat attended the scene. Picture from RNLI

FIVE people were rescued after becoming stranded on the Copeland Islands off Co Down.

The three adults and two children got into difficulty after their jet ski experienced mechanical issues on Wednesday at around 7pm.

They used their mobile phone to try to contact both Donaghadee and Bangor Lifeboat stations.

Donaghadee RNLI lifeboat attended the scene and the group were brought to safety.

Philip McNamara, Donaghadee Coxswain, said: "I feel we got to the casualties just on time, they were starting to feel the cold after spending quite some time in the sunshine.

"They didn't have any water to hydrate or clothing to keep them warm and had they not managed to contact the lifeboat when they did they could certainly have really started to feel the effects of the cold.

"Lifeboat stations are not always manned and we cannot stress enough the importance of dialling 999 should you find yourself in difficulty at sea or on the coastline, and of course always wear a lifejacket and carry a means of communication."