Young girl in hospital after being rescued from rough seas off Wexford coast

Update 2.30pm:Scouting Ireland have released the following statement:

"is providing support to the 14 venture scouts and their leaders who were on a visit to Hook Head yesterday afternoon (Sunday, 6 December).

"Two of our venture scouts remain in hospital and our thoughts are with them and their families at this time. This is a very serious accident and everyone in the scouting community is shocked by it.

"The young people concerned made courageous efforts to support their friends who were swept into the sea by a freak wave.

"As Ireland’s largest youth organisation with over 50,000 members, the welfare and safety of our members is of paramount importance to us. We will therefore be undertaking a thorough review of this incident and of our protocols and procedures."

Earlier:

A young girl remains in a serious condition in hospital after four teenagers were swept to sea at Hook Head in Co Wexford yesterday.

Four teenagers were spotted in the water - two managed to swim ashore and two more were rescued by the Waterford based Coastguard helicopter, Rescue 117.

A boy and a girl were brought to University Hospital Waterford.

The boy has minor injuries while the girl is said to be in a critical condition.

Captain of the Waterford Search and Rescue Base Daniel Wright says the conditions were rough in the area at the time of the rescue.

He said: "The initial call we got was four people, but as we arrived on the scene it was confirmed that there were still only two people left in the water.

"There was quite a big swell breaking off the rocks just below the lighthouse, just south of the lighthouse, so it was quite rough water out there."