Three people have been rescued from a sinking boat off Co Clare.
The alarm was raised at around 11.20 last night, when the occupants of a 7-metre rib contacted the Irish Coast Guard to report they were in difficulty off Carrigaholt in the west of the county.
The volunteer crew of the Kilrush RNLI lifeboat were dispatched to the scene shortly before midnight and three occupants, a man and two women were found to be wearing life-jackets and doing their best to bail water from the vessel.
The RNLI crew towed the rib to Carrigaholt Pier where it was safely tied up, after which lifeboat volunteers assessed those on board to see if they needed medical attention.
Once it was confirmed that all three were safe and well, the lifeboat crew were stood down and returned to their station.
