5.12 pm
A PERSON HAS been airlifted to hospital after eight people were rescued from an overturned diving boat off the coast of Sligo.
A distress call was received by Malin Head Coast Guard at 11.24am this morning after the boat got into difficulty close to Aughris Pier off the Sligo coast.
The Sligo Bay RNLI lifeboat was tasked to the scene and arrived at the scene at 11.43am.
With the assistance of the Rescue 118 Coast Guard helicopter, the RNLI lifeboat crew rescued eight divers from the water who had gotten into difficulty.
One diver was airlifted to Sligo Hospital following the rescue and their condition is unknown.
Ambulances were on standby and one other diver was brought to hospital by ambulance but it is not thought that their injuries are life-threatening.
The six other divers did not require hospitalisation.
Following the rescue operation, the lifeboat crew returned to the scene to tow the vessel back to the pier.
The Rescue 118 helicopter was diverted to the rescue operation as it was already assisting in the search operation for the three remaining crew members of Rescue 116.
Speaking after the operation, Sligo Bay RNLI lifeboat operations manager Willie Murphy made reference to the ongoing search.
“In what has been a difficult week with the loss of Rescue 116 and the ongoing search for her crew, this morning’s callout shows that the professionalism and dedication of the search and rescue community remains unchanged,” Murphy said.
The RNLI crew at Sligo Bay along with their colleagues at Rescue 118 were on scene minutes after the call for help was raised and rescued eight people from the water. Our thoughts are with the man who was airlifted to hospital and with our colleague still searching in Blacksod Bay for the three missing crew member of Rescue 116.
The Bundoran lifeboat was also deployed during the operation.
- With reporting by Rónán Duffy
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