Two Co Donegal lobster fishermen, a father and son, died in hospital last evening after they were dramatically winched to safety together from heavy seas by Coast Guard helicopter rescuers.
The men, from Inver Port, Co Donegal, were fishing from a 20ft open boat off nearby Doorin Head when they got into difficulties in rough seas.
They were named locally as Liam Kennedy, in his mid-40s, and his son Conor (19).
Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan, a neighbour and close friend, said: "There is devastation. Liam was such a great community person. It's a travesty and a tragedy coming so close after the road accident at the weekend of Barry Gallagher, a member of a well-known fishing industry family just up the road in Killybegs.
"It's an utter travesty and a tragedy. People are stunned. Liam Kennedy was a very experienced fisherman. He spent his life on the sea."
The alarm was raised by another fisherman who went ashore ahead of them as the weather worsened. When he looked back for them as he reached shore there was no sign of them.
He made his way back along the coast looking out for their boat. Then he saw a red SOS flare and contacted Malin Head Coast Guard Station.
A spokesman at Malin said they immediately notified the Coast Guard helicopter at Strandhill, Co Sligo, as well as the Killybegs and Bundoran lifeboats.
But they are inshore boats and weather conditions, including north-west winds of up to force seven and a big swell, prevented them going to the scene a half-mile out at sea off Doorin Head.
The all-weather Arranmore Island lifeboat was launched 60 miles away.
Meanwhile, the helicopter was alerted and within 15 minutes of being called the crew were searching the area and eventually spotted the lobstermen clinging to each other in the sea with their boat submerged.
It is believed that they may have been in the ice-cold water for up to two hours. A winchman was lowered right into the waves and harnessed the pair together for a single lift to safety. The two men, who are believed to have been suffering from hypothermia, died later at Sligo General Hospital.
A Coast Guard spokesman said: "It was a difficult rescue but well executed. Sadly, the two men died later. The winchman had to get the two up at the same time for fear he mightn't get back down. The weather was worsening."