Man (50s) dies after falling into sea in Co Clare
Pat Flynn
One man has died and a second person has been rescued following an incident in West Clare on Wednesday afternoon.
The alarm was raised at around 3.15pm when emergency services received a report that a person had fallen into the sea from a cliff at Dunlicky, southwest of Kilkee.
It is understood the victim was fishing with another man at the time.
An onlooker who saw the incident unfold called emergency services.
A search and rescue operation was quickly mounted by the Irish Coast Guard’s marine rescue coordination centre in Co Kerry. The Kilkee unit of the Coast Guard was tasked, along with the Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter. The National Ambulance Service and Gardaí were also alerted.
Kilkee Coast Guard volunteers launched their rescue boat and made their way to the scene while other members travelled to the location by road.
It is understood the rescue boat was delayed from launching by a number of people swimming close to the slipway.
Rescue 115 carried out a search of the area and soon located the man and recovered him from the water. However, efforts to resuscitate the man were unsuccessful and he was formally pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim’s body was removed to University Hospital Kerry in Tralee where a post-mortem examination will be carried out.
A Garda spokesperson confirmed the man was aged in his 50s.
Meanwhile, a second person, believed to have climbed down the rocks to help the victims, was found stranded on a cliff edge and was unable to climb back to safety.
He was spotted by the helicopter crew who alerted ground teams. An operation was then mounted to rescue him.
Kilkee Coast Guard volunteers managed to get a rope down to the man and secured him while additional resources were requested to attend.
The man is not believed to have been seriously injured.
The Doolin and Ballybunion units of the Coast Guard were also tasked but were stood down en route when it was confirmed that man had been successfully rescued.
