Posted online: Nov 12th, 2009

By Lauren Harte, Reporter
The dramatic rescue of three men from the River Erne in Ballyshannon at the weekend has been hailed as “miraculous” by one local man who raised the alarm.
On Saturday afternoon three men from the North were spotted in the river at the Bar, Ballyshannon by Hugh John Patton. The men, believed to be from Dungannon in Co. Tyrone got into difficultly after capsizing in their boat due to the huge swell of the water.
Mr Patton raised the alarm with the RNLI in Bundoran, however the lifeboat could not launch due to the adverse sea conditions with swells of over six metres recorded. A boat from the Northern Regional Fisheries Board was also called out.
“Time was a critical factor and the speed of the rescue even more so as it was getting very dark. It was a great combined effort of the emergency services and public help that resulted in the safe recovery of the men,” a RNLI spokesperson said.
Speaking to the Donegal Post last evening, Mr Patton said the three men were “very lucky to be alive” in what could have been a much more serious incident.
Mr Patton alerted his sons, Brendan and Hugh John Jr who set out on their quads to Tullan Strand beach where the men were recovered after being swept up onto the sand bar.
“Given the weather conditions on the day it was a miraculous escape for the men,” said Mr Patton.
“The temperature in the water was only seven degrees and the light was fading. It could so nearly have been three bodies that were recovered. They probably had a thousand to one chance of survival and for the three of them to come out alive, so their rescue is unbelievable.”
Emergency services including gardaí and the ambulance attended the scene. The three men were taken to Sligo General Hospital and treated for hypothermia and water intake before being released later that evening.