Three teenage boys were feared drowned last night after they went missing at a popular beach in Co Sligo. A massive search was under way at Strandhill for the three friends who were non-swimmers and who got into difficulty after wading in the water.
A fourth boy was rescued from the sea by a local surfer who saw the youngsters get into difficulty. He was taken to Sligo General Hospital and was described as being in a "critical but stable" condition last night.
Army Air Corps and Irish Marine Emergency Service helicopters were drafted in to assist in the search for three boys from Gurteen who went missing at Strandhill during yesterday's heatweave.
The search was hampered by the rescued boy's inability to confirm how many youngsters were missing, according to the emergency service.
At first it was thought that only two boys were missing, but it later became clear that three youngsters were unaccounted for. They were all non-swimmers and had only gone into the water up to their waists.
Strandhill, which is about five miles from Sligo town, has been declared unsafe for swimming by the Irish Water Safety Association.
"It was not calm. There were waves - white water - for about 200 metres off shore, but otherwise it was not unduly rough," said a spokesman for the rescue service.
According to a local garda, a number of people on the beach saw the boys get into difficulty. "They had been playing football on the beach and they were in the water paddling. The sand seemed to shift from underneath their feet," said the garda.
"Anyone living locally would know this to be a dangerous beach, although it is popular with tourists. There have been a number of drownings there in recent years."
The alarm was raised by a member of the public at 5.30 p.m. An initial search was conducted by the Army Air Corps helicopter based at Finner camp and was then taken up by the emergency service helicopter from Shannon.
The Bundoran lifeboat, along with members of the rescue services from Killala and Killybegs were also involved in the search.
The Army Air Corps helicopter was responding to a call of a boat which had got into trouble on the River Shannon when it was diverted to Strandhill. It was on the scene within five minutes of receiving the call.
Last night, Mr Niall Byrne of Strandhill, one of two men who had earlier rescued the fourth teenager and brought him to shore on a surfboard, said the water yesterday was not particularly dangerous. "There was a good swell and it was full of surfers," he said.
Strandhill is one of Ireland's top surfing resorts, known for its riptides. One local said there had been no beach guard for about the last three years, and in the meantime locals had rescued about 20 people.
The three missing youths, in their mid-teens, were on a day out from the village of Gurteen. None was believed to have been a strong swimmer.
Garda and Naval divers were standing by at the scene last night to resume the search at first light. A large number of local people who took part in the rescue effort yesterday evening was were also preparing to resume the search.
Meanwhile, a 14-year-old windsurfer had to be treated for hypothermia after he was rescued from the water near Bundoran, Co Donegal, at about 1 p.m. He was taken to Sligo General Hospital, but was later discharged.