Divers rescued off northern coast

[PADI-Paddy]

Two divers have been rescued after getting into difficulties off the north Antrim coast.
The alarm was raised at about 1530 BST, when a passer-by spotted the two men in the water near Ballycastle.

The Red Bay lifeboat and an Irish Coast Guard helicopter were called to the scene.

However, one of the men made it to shore by himself. The other man was rescued by a dive boat.

Coastguard watch manager Diana Gadd said the men were lucky to be spotted quickly.

"These two guys were divers. There was a big swell which had detached them from their dive boat," she said.

"They were indeed requiring assistance. Neither of them suffered any injury because of the eagle-eyed person on the shore who took exactly the right action, dialled 999 and asked for the lifeguard."

A year ago, close to the same spot, a diver died after coming to the surface too quickly.

A second person involved in the dive near Rathlin island was airlifted to hospital for treatment in a decompression chamber.