North coast surfer praised for rescuing two women in difficulty in sea at Portstewart

Coleraine Coastguard Rescue Team has been tasked on Wednesday evening (June 19) to reports of persons in difficulty, swimming off rocks at Portstewart Strand.

They said: “Passers by had called the Coastguard and then used Council-provided throwlines and floats to reach two swimmers. One person entered the water to assist the swimmers ashore.”

That person was local surfer Daniel McAleese who was out walking when he heard a woman screaming that she could not see her friend in the water.

Speaking to BBC NI, Mr McAleese said: “She was obviously in a lot of distress as she had not seen her friend in over a minute. Myself and the girl tried to locate a head bobbing up somewhere. I was incredibly concerned.

"Eventually I saw a tuft of hair pop up and jumped in there. I managed to get a hold of the girl and get her face and mouth above the surface; at that point she wasn’t responsive but after about 20 seconds she regained consciousness."

He said that a "few bystanders came down to help me out, as eventually I was close enough to the end of the cliff that they could throw a life buoy at it. We gradually got her on to a level area to pull her in from," he added.

He said the woman had cuts from being banged against the rocks.

"When something like this happens, you don’t have a huge amount of time to reflect on it, you’re just trying to stay as practical as you can possibly be," he added, admitting that he was "certainly a little bit shaken afterwards".

Coleraine Coastguard said that "quick thinking and brave actions" had "undoubtedly helped in the saving of two lives".

Mr McAleese said that there was no doubt thay his surfing knowledge of the coast helped in the situation.

"Myself and my friends know every rock and current," he told BBC NI. "It was a scenario where the right person was there at the right time.

"It goes to show if you have any doubt, don’t go in."