Twenty-six rescued from the River Foyle after 'major incident'

The emergency services have been hailed for their work in rescuing 26 people in a major incident on the "freezing" River Foyle.

Five people were airlifted to Derry's Altnagelvin Hospital and 12 were taken by ambulance, according to Foyle Search and Rescue.

Two kayaks capsized on the river between Carrigans in County Donegal and Magheramason in County Tyrone at around 2pm.

All of those rescued were aged between 18 and their mid-50s and all of them were part of the one group with no one suffering from serious injuries, although several people were treated for hypothermia.

SDLP MLA for Foyle Mark H Durkan said: "It has been a cold day and the water in the river would have been freezing. Coupled with the strong current and high tide it is extremely fortunate that we did not witness a tragedy here today.

"I must commend the swift and brave actions of Foyle Search and Rescue, the Irish Coast Guard and all the emergency services whose efficiency and professionalism certainly saved lives."

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service tweeted:

Local Sinn Fein MLA Maeve McLaughlin praised the emergency services saying, “Their swift efforts and team work in responding to this major incident are to be applauded."