A man has tragically lost his life after being rescued from the waters near Portrush on Sunday evening.
Two individuals spotted him in distress and bravely brought him back to shore on a surfboard.
They immediately began performing CPR, hoping to revive him. Sadly, despite their efforts, the man was later pronounced dead.
The police were alerted to the situation by a request for assistance from HM Coastguard at West Strand beach in Portrush, and they quickly responded.
The man was then taken to the hospital by the police and colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service. It’s a heartbreaking incident, and our thoughts go out to everyone affected by this unfortunate event.
Londonderry MLA Claire Sugden has paid her sincerest condolences to the friends and family of a man who died last night (September 3) after getting into difficulty while surfing on Portrush’s West Strand.
“This is heart-breaking news for everyone who knew this man,” Ms Sugden said.
“Fellow surfers came to his aid, followed by the Coastguard, RNLI and onshore emergency services, but tragically all efforts to resuscitate the man failed.
“I would like to praise everyone who helped in this rescue attempt and extend my deepest condolences to his friends and family.
“Unfortunately, this tragedy underlines the dangers that exist in our waters and how easy it is to get into trouble.
“I would urge anyone entering the water to do so with the utmost attention to safety and to stay close to fellow water-users.”
