The teenagers were rescued by a lifeboat crew

They were stranded in an open boat with no safety or communications equipment on Thursday night.

Kilkeel lifeboat crew member, Alan McVeigh, said the alarm was raised by the father of one of the boys who had stayed on shore.

"We found them by tracing their last known path from the harbour, proceeding slowly and stopping intermittently to use foghorn and to shout to see if we could get any response," he said.

"Within 15 to 20 minutes, we were able to hear cries for help."