Olivia Kelleher
The body of a 22-year-old man has been recovered after he fell down a 50-foot cliff blowhole near the Old Head of Kinsale in West Cork as he was walking on rocks above yesterday (sat) evening.
The body of the youngster from the south side of Cork city was recovered west of Garretstown shortly after midnight following an arduous rescue operation.
The recovery operation for the young man was carried out by the Valentia Coast Guard. They were assisted by the Shannon-based Sikorsky helicopter Rescue 115, gardaí, area RNLI units, the Old Head of Kinsale Coast Guard unit, and a specialist cave unit.
Rescuers managed to get a young man who had gone to the aid of his friend to safety. They also recovered the body of the young man who had fallen in to the blow hole.
His body was transferred to Cork University Hospital (CUH) where a full postmortem examination will be carried out.
The young man who was trapped while attempting the rescue was treated for non-life threatening injuries.
He was taken by ambulance to CUH as a precautionary measure.
Tragic accident
Gardaí are treating the matter as a tragic accident. A file will be prepared for the Coroners Court. An inquest will be held in due course.
The boy cannot be named pending full notification of his extended family. However, friends have described him as being a popular young man who was loved by all who knew him. He was also said to be a valued employee at his job in the city.
RNLI in Union Hall extended their condolences to the family of the deceased who is from the city.
The sunshine over the weekend led to a number of call outs for emergency services.
Irish Water Safety has urged the public to be cautious near seas, rivers and lakes.
