A caver was treated in hospital after getting into difficulty in North Clare at the weekend.
While it was known that an incident had occurred in a cave, originally reported to be near Fanore, fuller details of the incident have only become clear this evening.
It’s now understood that a man was reported to have fallen part-way down a vertical pit at the end of a cave outside Lisdoonvarna on Saturday.
Gardaí and the National Ambulance Service were alerted initially while the Irish Cave Rescue Organisation (ICRO) was placed on standby. Later, An Garda Síochána formally requested ICRO to dispatch volunteers to the scene.
The alarm was raised at around 5.00pm on Saturday and the first ICRO personnel arrived the location, entered and proceeded to the end of the cave.
A post this evening on the ICRO Facebook page confirmed: “A rope was rigged to the bottom of the pit to locate the casualty. He was assessed and fortunately was not seriously injured, only complaining of a sore foot, and of feeling very cold.”
“He was able to make his way slowly up the rope. At this stage, further ICRO teams had arrived and were able to provide food, water, and further medical care. The casualty was assisted through a series of meanders and cascade climbs, and arrived at the entrance at approximately 10.15pm. From there, he was helped down the hill.
He was treated in hospital for minor fractures. ICRO wishes him a speedy recovery. Thanks to all of our volunteers involved in this successful rescue,” the post added.
Meanwhile, a Speleological Union of Ireland (SUICRO) caving symposium, an event for cavers of all levels and ages, took place in Doolin over the Bank Holiday weekend however it’s not clear whether the caver had been attending that event.
The Irish Cave Rescue Organisation (ICRO) is a self help organisation specialising in cave rescue who have recognised the need for expertise in such situations and who will attend, manage and carry out rescues at the request of the police.
Throughout Ireland cave rescue is the responsibility of the police forces, An Garda Síochána in the Republic and the PSNI in Northern Ireland.