Divers from the Irish Naval Service have recovered a body from the base of a cliff in Co Clare on Tuesday afternoon.
The alarm was raised at around 4pm on Monday when emergency services were requested to respond to an incident at the Cliffs of Moher.
National Ambulance Service paramedics; the Doolin unit of the Irish Coast Guard and Clare County Fire and Rescue Service crews from Ennistymon and Kilrush stations responded to the incident along with Gardaí. The Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 115, was also tasked to the incident.
On arrival at the scene it was established that a person, understood to be a young man, was seen falling from the cliff at Aill Na Searrach, close to O’Brien’s Tower.
Doolin Coast Guard launched a rescue boat while Rescue 115 arrived at the scene at around the same time. A risk assessment was undertaken and, although the body was located, it was deemed too dangerous to attempt a recovery at that time.
The Irish Naval Service was requested to assist and dispatched a team of divers to Doolin on Tuesday afternoon. Members of the Naval Service Diving Section launched from the pier at Doolin shortly before 3pm and made their way to the scene, followed soon afterwards by one of Doolin Coast Guard’s rescue boats.
With assistance from Doolin Coast Guard personnel on the cliff top, naval divers made their way ashore and located the casualty. The body was recovered to the Doolin Coast Guard station at approximately 3.30pm, where Gardaí and a local doctor were waiting.
The body is expected to be taken by hearse to University Hospital Limerick where a postmortem examination will be carried out.
It is understood the incident is being treated as a personal tragedy and the man had been missing from Co Mayo.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can freephone the Samaritans 24 hours a day for confidential support at 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.
You can also freephone the national Bereavement Support Line run by the HSE and Irish Hospice Foundation at 1800 80 70 77 (Monday-Friday 10am-1pm), and the contact information for a range of mental health supports is available at mentalhealthireland.ie.
In the case of an emergency, or if you or someone you know is at risk of suicide or self-harm, dial 999/112.
