Two people including a 16-year-old boy have died after their fishing vessel capsized off Co Donegal on Tuesday afternoon.
Two adults and the teenager had left to go fishing a short time before their 15ft vessel got into difficulty.
The group had left Malin Head pier around midday and had travelled approximately half a mile out to sea when their boat suddenly capsized.
The three were in the water for a considerable period before their shouts for help were heard by people staying in a nearby cottage.
Malin Head Coastguard station was contacted immediately and a rescue mission was launched just after 4pm.
Quickly recovered
Two people, an adult and the 16-year-old were quickly recovered from the sea.
The youth, understood to be from Derry, was the first person to be rescued by a local vessel and he was taken by the Rescue 118 helicopter from the pier at Malin Head to Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry. He was later pronounced dead.
An adult in his 50s and also from Derry was lifted from the water a short time later and he too was taken to hospital.
The third person, a man in his 60s from the Malin Head area, was not found until around 6pm. He was rushed to Letterkenny University Hospital but has since been pronounced dead.The man's identity has not been revealed until all of his relatives have been informed.
The search and rescue operation involved lifeboat crews from the Lough Swilly RNLI, the Malin Head Coast Guard and the Coast Guard 118 Helicopter.
Shouts heard
Spokesman for Lough Swilly RNLI, Joe Joyce, confirmed 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.
“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 said.
There is no indication yet as to what caused the boat to capsize.