Three young women and a man who became stranded on rocks near Bundoran, Co Donegal, when a fast-rising tide cut them off from the mainland were rescued by the Coast Guard helicopter from Strandhill, Co Sligo, on Thursday evening.
Holidaymakers cheered in appreciation of the rescue when the four were winched from the rocks at Roguey.
The alarm was raised when the four, all believed to be in their 20s, were cut off from land by a fast-flowing incoming tide shortly before 8.30pm.
Jagged rocks just below the surface and a treacherous current meant that attempting the 70-metre swim to the mainland would have been extremely dangerous.
Within minutes of Malin Head Coast Guard station being alerted an air-sea rescue operation was under way.
The RNLI lifeboat from Bundoran was launched from its base about 500 metres away, but was prevented by rocks and waves from getting close enough to lift the four people to safety.
The helicopter, which was in the air at the time on a training exercise, arrived at the scene within about three minutes and winched the four people to safety.
They were landed a short time later at Bundoran golf club.
One onlooker said: "It was quite dramatic stuff, an example of the rescue services at their best. They were superb."
The four were said to be "none the worse" for their experience, although somewhat shaken.