The mum of one of the paddle boarders who went missing off the coast of Galway has told how a "beautiful evening" on the beach turned to a night of hell.
Fears grew for Sara Feeney, 23, and 17-year-old Ellen Glynn on Wednesday night after they disappeared near Furbo Beach in Connemara.
The alarm was raised at 9.30pm and it was 15 hours later before they were found by fisherman Patrick Oliver and his son Morgan two miles from Inisheer.
Sara’s mum Helen had been on the beach when the pair were swept out by strong winds.
She said: “Horrific, it was the stuff of nightmares. You’re just living by the second.”
Helen said: “I was just walking the dog on the beach while they went in for the paddle on the board on the beautiful evening we had.
“We were in good spirits and then the next thing they were just going out, I was with the dog and they seemed to be going out a bit far.
“And it just went from the most serene of pictures to kind of a little bit of anxiety and sort of then you’re telling yourself, it’ll be grand, they’ll be back in a second, don’t be [worrying], you’re being dramatic here.
“And the next thing, obviously the time it came at, it was getting a little bit darker and they are two very smart, sensible girls.
“They had their lifejackets on, which is obviously essential and the buoyancy aids have been fantastic. I’m just very grateful.”
She added that fisherman Patrick was a "hero" and that her family will be forever indebted to him.
She told RTE: “Patrick’s a hero and we’re obviously going to be forever indebted to him.
“We were all obviously out and so many hundreds of people. We’re also forever indebted to those out searching, but I don’t think any of us thought they’d be out in that direction and it certainly wasn’t the focus.
"So, a miracle, thanks to everybody all over the bay.”
The cousins were taken to University Hospital Galway by helicopter for a check-up.
Hundreds of searchers had combed the coastline in south Connemara and north Clare after an overnight search involving the Irish Coast Guard helicopters from Shannon and Sligo.
The pair, from Knocknacarra in Galway, were found in good health clinging to the buoy of a lobster pot.
