Woman dies after early-morning swim in the sea as second treated for hypothermia

A woman has died after taking an early-morning swim in the sea and a second taken to hospital.

The woman is understood to have been one of two swimmers who had entered the water this morning off the coast of Ballycastle, Northern Ireland.

Crews treated the second woman for hypothermia.

Emergency services were called to the scene at 8.28am with a Coastguard helicopter from Prestwick and the Air Ambulance as well as Coastguard crews, police, Fire Service and Ambulance Service personnel rushing to the scene.

Rescue workers at the scene where the woman died off the coast of Ballycastle (McAuley Multimedia/Mercury Press)

An Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) spokesman said: “The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service received a 999 call at 08:28 on 9 December 2019 following reports of a number of swimmers in difficulty in Ballycastle.

“NIAS dispatched 2 Emergency crews, 2 ambulance officers and a HART officer to the scene. The Charity Air Ambulance, with a HEMS team on board, was also tasked to the incident.

One woman sadly died and another was treated for hypothermia (McAuley Multimedia/Mercury Press)

“Following assessment and initial treatment at the scene, one female patient was taken, by ambulance to Causeway Hospital.”

Parts of Ireland have been hit with high winds over the weekend and into this morning as Storm Atiyah wrekced havoc.

Ferry services were delayed to cancelled and around 10,000 homes were left without power.