Larne swim club kids entertain passengers stuck on runway after stormy flight

Ten young swimmers from Larne Swimming Club took to the skies for their first competition further afield than Craigavon, but it is how the trip ended that means they likely won't forget it in a hurry.

The children, along with coach, Olympian Danielle Hill, six parents and two young siblings, had to endure a treacherous journey through Storm Isha.

This powerful storm has resulted in power outages for tens of thousands of homes in Northern Ireland and felled trees caused seriously dangerous conditions on the roads.

After a flight with much sickness and many tears, the weary travellers ended up being stuck on the runway for over three hours after touchdown, as a set of steps could not be safely brought to allow them to disembark.

The team enjoyed lots of top 10 finishes at their swimming gala in Sunderland, and this bottled energy helped "keep spirits high" for all passengers after such a terrifying ordeal.

Making the best of a grim situation, they performed the Katy Perry hit "Roar", and the entire plane joined in a rendition of "Happy Birthday" for one of the competitor's little sister.

A cash and sweetie collection soon followed, and the birthday girl even got a peak in the plane's cockpit.

It's well documented that swimming helps build up lung capacity, and it seems these young athletes put that to good use while belting out the tunes during the long and scary delay.

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