A 21-year-old oarsman was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter on Lough Gill, Co Sligo, when his boat ran into difficulties in 70km/h winds. The man, the only boatman on the lake at the time, was winched to safety by the helicopter after he dialled 999 on his mobile phone.
The helicopter was despatched from its nearby Strandhill base by officers at Malin Head Coast Guard station in Co Donegal.
The drama happened near Parks Castle on the Sligo-Leitrim border shortly before 4pm on St Stephen's Day, when an oarlock on the 10ft boat broke.
