Two-off duty nurses who rescued five young children in trouble in the water off the coast of Co Down have been applauded for their “remarkable bravery and fortitude”.
The two women helped bring the five children, who were all siblings, to safety after noticing they had been caught out in the rising tide.
Responders from Newcastle Coastguard said they had received reports of children in difficulty in the sea off Minerstown Beach at around 9.30pm on Sunday.
Read more: Child taken to hospital following ‘distressing’ incident as boat capsizes in Carrickfergus
However, they said that they had already been brought ashore by the two nurses who had “bravely waded into the sea” and rescued them before they arrived.
In a statement, a spokesperson said: “Newcastle Coastguard team would like to pay tribute to the two off-duty nurses who waded into the water to rescue the children.
“They showed remarkable bravery and fortitude in a rapidly deteriorating situation to calmly bring the three youngest children to shore before wading out up to their chests in water to rescue the two oldest children.
“The women displayed outstanding courage, ignoring their own safety to ensure the children were not only brought ashore but cared for until the arrival of the emergency services.”
The team also thanked the owner of a nearby house who opened their doors to the children for warmth while they waited for paramedics to arrive.
Coastguard teams from both Newcastle and Kilkeel assisted in the operation alongside Newcastle RNLI.
The children were then taken by ambulance to the Ulster Hospital.
DUP MLA Diane Forsyth said: “We are so fortunate to have these teams in our area saving lives. Thanks to everyone who helped out in this effort especially the off-duty nurses and I wish the young people a speedy recovery.”
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