Four in sea rescue

Students had jumped from cliff when freak wave swept them away

Four people have been rescued after they got into trouble in the sea off the north Antrim coast.

They were members of a party who were making a film about student life on Monday.

They had been jumping from the cliff into the sea, when a swell swept 11 of their party away.

Four could not get back to the cliff-bottom and got into difficulties.

Three were picked up by the Portrush lifeboat while another, who was clinging to a rock stack, was rescued by helicopter.

The students were treated in hospital in Coleraine for shock and hypothermia and were later discharged.

John Scott from the Portrush Lifeboat crew said they were lucky to be alive.

He said: "If it had been ten minutes more I don't think they would have survived. The water was very cold.

"The fourth person was on a rock stack, some distance out from the cliff face, so we couldn't get him off by boat.

"There were no British helicopters available, so a helicopter came from Donegal and lifted him up over the cliff onto the Dunluce Castle carpark."