Pair caught in riptide at West Strand

A member of the public heard them shouting for help on Sunday morning and called the Coastguard.

The inshore lifeboat was quickly on the scene and two men were plucked from the water near the Black Rocks. They were landed at the Lifeboat Station and given emergency first aid by Coastguard and Lifeboat personnel before being handed over to ambulance paramedics.

The rescued men, who were in their twenties and from County Tyrone, later told Coastguards that they had seen a dog in the water and one of them had entered the waves to rescue it.

Unfortunately he had been caught almost immediately in a rip current and carried out to sea. His friend had gone to his assistance but suffered the same fate, leaving both men floundering in the surf. It is believed that both men had been drinking prior to the incident.

Coastguard Station Officer Chris Little said, “Both men realise now how lucky they have been. If it had not been for the alertness of the person who made the 999 call to the Coastguard and the speedy actions of the inshore lifeboat crew, it is almost certain that one or both men would have drowned.”

Sinn Fein MLA praised the emergency services, saying: "These incidents once again demonstrate how fortunate we are to have emergency service personnel who put their lives on the line for us all.”

Meanwhile, a man was rescued from the sea in rough conditions near Portrush on Sunday after falling from a boat.

Two people onboard the 18-foot cabin cruiser made a mayday call at about 9.15am on Sunday from about half a mile east of Ballintoy harbour.

A rescue helicopter was scrambled from Prestwick in Scotland but it returned to base after the man was brought to safety.

Teenager assaulted

A 15-year-old boy was assaulted at a campsite close to a caravan park on the Glenmanus Road in Portrush shortly before 5pm last Saturday.

He was taken to hospital with a fractured cheekbone.

Two men, aged 21 and 23, were arrested and are currently helping police with their enquiries.

A number of people were in the area at the time and police are appealing to anyone who witnessed the assault or know anything to contact them.