Two Irish transatlantic rowers have been rescued from heavy seas by a Spanish-flagged supertanker after their vessel capsized this afternoon.
Former world champion and three-time Olympian Gearoid Towey and his team-mate Ciaran Lewis are reported to be safe and well tonight after they sent out a distress signal at 5.35.
The signal was picked up by the US coastguard in Norfolk, Virginia.
The pair were competing in the 3,000 mile Atlantic Rowing race from the Canary Islands to Antigua in the West Indies.
According to Woodvale Events, the organisers of the race, a distress signal was sent out from the men's boat, Digicel Atlantic Challenge, approximately 1,300 miles from Antigua after 40 days at sea.
Towey and Lewis were bidding to become the first Irish rowers to win the gruelling race and had been ninth in the 47-strong fleet when they began to encounter problems.
They are one of two Irish crews in the race. Paul Gleeson, from Limerick, and his Canadian-born girlfriend Tori Holmes are also competing and have recorded their progress in a regular diary in The Irish Times.
