By Lorna Siggins
Two young women have been found alive south of the Aran island of Inis Oirr over 16 hours after they went missing while paddleboarding in Galway Bay.
The two women, aged 17 and 23, were rescued by a fishing vessel early this afternoon about three miles south of Inis Oírr.
RNLI Galway operations manager Mike Swan said he had been informed they were “talking away” on the deck of the fishing vessel and in good spirits after their overnight ordeal.
The two women have been airlifted to hospital in Galway by the Waterford based Coast Guard helicopter.
Rescue 117 arrived on scene this morning to relieve crews from Shannon and Sligo.
The rescue of the pair was confirmed just before lunchtime after an extensive overnight air and sea search.
The two women had left Furbo beach after 8pm on Wednesday, and the alarm was raised just after 10pm when they had failed to return to shore.
They were wearing buoyancy aids, but not wetsuits. Sea conditions were calm but with an offshore north-westerly breeze.
The RNLI Aran island and Galway lifeboats, the Irish Coast Guard’s Shannon and Sligo-based helicopters and Doolin and Costello Coast Guards searched throughout the night.
Mr Swan said that the overnight search had focused on the inner Galway bay area and had extended west to Black Head.
Marine Institute ocean sciences staff also worked on tide and current modelling to assist the search crews.
The institute, based in Oranmore has also launched its rigid inflatable to assist the sea search, along with a number of fishing vessels, local and visiting angling and leisure craft.
Residents living close to the coast from Barna west to Spiddal had searched the shoreline near their homes, and also took place from Kinvara west to Newquay.
