A man and a woman crawled on to the roof of their plane and were rescued by a local lifeboat crew.

They were taken to the Mid-Ulster Hospital in Magherafelt. The plane went into the lough shortly after 2000 BST on Friday evening.

It landed close to Ballyronan marina in County Londonderry. Fire, police and lifeboat services attended the scene.

Coastguard watch manager Diana Gadd said the two people were shocked, but unhurt.

Engine difficulties

"We understand that they had probably taken off from Toome. They had suffered engine difficulties, had come down on a sand bank on the west side of the lough and, sensibly, stayed on top of the aircraft which, thankfully, remained afloat," she said.

"Had the aircraft sunk, it would have been another story of course. But the rescue units were on the scene very quickly."

Ms Gadd said that the Ardboe lifeboat located the aircraft with the two persons standing on top of it.

The crew took them ashore at Ballyronan marina.

"They were very shocked and cold, but otherwise unhurt," she said.