Kayakers Drown In Waterford

Two men in their 20s have drowned after becoming trapped while kayaking in Co Waterford last night.

According to reports this morning, the two men got into difficulty while kayaking in the River Clodagh, a tributary of the River Suir, at Portlaw. The bodies of the men were recovered last night. Gardaí say the men have not yet been identified.

It is understood the men became trapped in a weir at around 9pm.

Dublin Coastguard said the first body was recovered at around 10pm and the second was pulled from the water at 11.30pm.

A man, who is understood to have witnessed the incident from the river bank, is helping gardaí establish the cause of the incident.

The tragedy coincides with an ongoing controversy over the provision of a 24-hour Coast Guard Search And Rescue (SAR) at Waterford Airport.

After a recent Facebook campaign by Waterford residents and a cross-party meeting of politicians on the matter the SAR was only recently decided to be retained.

Some 24,500 online signatories vented their anger at the proposed cut in the SAR service from 24 hours to 12 by 2013 and claimed Minister Noel Dempsey's U-turn as a victory for people power.

Meanwhile, local politicians have expressed their delight and relief that common sense has won the day after three weeks of intense discussion both regionally and in Dublin.

Meanwhile, in the North, a young teenager has died in a 'hot pursuit' incident by the PSNI.

He drowned while fleeing from police officers in Londonderry.

Named today as Kyle Bonnes, 15, from Tullyally, he died in an incident in the Drumahoe area just after 5pm on Wednesday.

(DW/BMCC)