Two divers were airlifted to safety by an Irish Coast Guard helicopter after they got into difficulty off the Co Clare coast this afternoon.
The alarm was raised shortly before 4.00pm when the pair were reported to have experienced difficulties while diving at the Bridges of Ross on the Loop Head Peninsula. Colleagues on the shore, who had been monitoring their progress and safety, raised the alarm.
The Kilkee unit of the Irish Coast Guard was tasked to the scene while the Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter was also alerted and requested to attend the incident. At the time, Rescue 115 had been returning from a training exercise in Kerry and diverted directly to the scene.
It’s understood the pair got caught in a swell and had difficulty making it ashore. It’s also believed that they removed their equipment and allowed themselves be carried by the current a short distance from where they had entered the water and safely make it onto rocks.
On reaching the scene, the helicopter crew quickly located the divers. A winchman/paramedic was hoisted onto the rocks below and after the pair had been assessed, both were winched onto the cliff top where they where they were reunited with their colleagues. Neither diver was harmed.
An RNLI lifeboat was also tasked from Fenit in Co Kerry. As the lifeboat was nearing the scene, the Coxswain received an update from the Coast Guard that the Rescue 115 helicopter had recovered the two casualties. The lifeboat crew were requested to stand down, as both casualties were safe and well.
The operation was coordinated by watch officers at the Irish Coast Guard’s marine rescue coordination centre on Valentia Island in Kerry.
