Windsurfer in gale force rescue

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/7744949.stm

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A windsurfer has been rescued by helicopter off the north Antrim coast in severe gale force winds.

It happened at around 1545 GMT on Sunday near Whiterocks beach at Portrush.

An Irish coastguard helicopter was called in to winch the man to safety because the conditions were too dangerous for a lifeboat.

Diana Gadd of the coastguard said: "This was a fantastic rescue in the most horrendous of conditions."

She added: "The coastline along the Dunluce Road is very picturesque but in bad weather can be extremely hostile to anyone caught out."

The man, described locally as an amateur windsurfing champion, had been out on the water with a companion who had managed to get himself to safety.

Coastguard staff spotted the man at the base of a cliff. A coastguard team located the man at the bottom of a cliff

"Due to the severity of the weather and how close inshore the windsurfer had become, it was inappropriate at the time to request the launch of a lifeboat," said Ms Gadd.

The Irish coastguard helicopter was then called. The man was rescued, and suffered only minor cuts and bruises.