A coastal community in north Mayo is celebrating this week the survival of two young local men after their trawler capsized when swamped by a freak wave in a heavy swell while they were hauling crab pots. John O'Donnell (18), from Porturlin, Ballina, and Nathan Flannery (25) from Rossport, Ballina, didn't even have time to send out an SOS as their vessel 'Léim an Bhradán' (Leap of the Salmon) began sinking. They took to a liferaft but to their horror the emergency craft initially failed to open.

The young men, who were both wearing lifejackets, eventually managed to right the raft and climb into it.
They then spent nearly 12 uncomfortable hours bobbing about in the Atlantic, some 13 miles off the north Mayo coastline at Belderrig, before they were spotted by the crew of a Sligo based Coast Guard helicopter.
The helicopter crew directed the Ballyglass RNLI lifeboat to the scene and the young men taken ashore at Ballyglass to recover.
Both young men were unwilling to talk to the media yesterday (Sunday) about their ordeal but one of their rescuers said they were 'extremely lucky'.
It emerged the pair had managed to remove their wet clothes and had put on plastic sacks to keep warm.
The small boat, which is owned by Caden O'Donnell, a cousin of John O'Donnell, was swamped around 1 p.m. on Saturday as the men were hauling in crab pots.
Veteran fisherman Pat O'Donnell from Porturlin, a cousin of John O'Donnell and Caden O'Donnel, said yesterday (Sunday) that during the 12 hours they spent adrift the men had fired a smoke signal when they spotted a helicopter.
The crew of the aircraft, however, failed to spot their signal.
Mr. O'Donnell admitted it had been a worrying time late on Saturday night and early Sunday morning for the entire Erris community.
"It was unbelievable," Mr. O'Donnell commented. "We thought the two lads were gone."

 

Pictured is the fishing fleet at Porturlin Harbour on Sunday following the earlier emergency which ended happily with the rescue of John O'Donnell and Nathan Flannery. Photo: Ken Wright