The crew of the Shannon based Irish Coast Guard search and rescue helicopter have been involved in a major rescue operation in west Cork.
A fisherman has been airlifted to hospital after spending two hours trapped at the base of a cliff in Cork. The angler is understood to have fallen into the sea from rocks at Dursey Sound at around 11.45am.
Emergency services were alerted and the Shannon based search and rescue helicopter, Rescue 1-1-5 was sent to the scene. The Castletownbere, Derrynane and Ballinskelligs units of the Irish Coast Guard along with the Castletownbere RNLI lifeboat were also tasked to the incident.
The man managed to climb onto rocks but was unable to make it any further. He remained stranded at the base of the cliff for almost two hours.
Members of Castletownbere Coast Guard used climbing equipment to reach the casualty. With the help the helicopter winch-man, they were able to safely recover the casualty to the cliff top.
The man was assessed and treated at the scene before being airlifted to Tralee General Hospital for treatment. He is reported to uninjured but suffering from hypothermia. His condition has been described as ‘stable’.
The rescue operation was mounted and coordinated by watch officers at the Irish Coast Guard marine rescue sub centre on Valentia Island in Kerry.